Daughter Of The Land
by Yellow Mask
Summary: Complete. New powers awaken in Sakura, an old enemy returns from the dead, and sets into motion a chain of events that has been building for longer than anyone realises...SasuSaku, NaruHin, NejiTen, ShikaIno.
1. Bonds of Blood

**Daughter Of The Land**

**By Yellow Mask**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

**Chapter 1**

**Bonds Of Blood**

Her name was Mikiko. In the Faerie Court, her title was Treesinger, nymph of the Konoha Sakura. To the mortals of the hidden village, she was the Sacred Sakura, the towering cherry tree that grew beside the river, whose leaves often rustled without the need of a breeze. To some, those who could sense the Faerie aura about her, she was the last proof of magic in an increasingly jaded world. To others, she was simply a pretty tree beside the river that offered welcome shade in the summer's heat. To many, she was just part of the scenery.

But to two...she was family.

And to one she was mother.

For though Mikiko was a nymph, and she had been 'born' as one...she hadn't always been one. Twenty-four years ago, an ambitious dragon had made a bargain with Skwall – the sky god and the Destroyer, contained in a delicate balance with his counterpart, Haevyn, the goddess of the land. In return for Skwall's near infinite power, the dragon would set the Destroyer free.

Cohen, the Faerie Lord, had learned of the bargain, and mustered all the Otherworld to arms. Mikiko and the other nymphs had used the deepest reaches of their magic to seal the dragon away...but not without a price. Many of the nymphs had died.

Mikiko's Faerie magic had been so depleted she was forced into a mortal form for ten years.

She had tried to integrate herself among the people of Konoha, optimistic that she could spend a few years as a mortal and then return to her Faerie self without any problems or complications. After all, how difficult could it be to live as a human for what was – to an immortal – barely a passing fancy?

Except she hadn't counted on falling in love.

Sotaro was the kind of man who deserved a loving wife by his side for the rest of his life. And so for his sake, Mikiko had tried to remain strong, to dismiss their feelings like so much dust in the wind, but in the end...

But in the end, not even a Faerie was immune to love. Twenty-two years ago, she and Sotaru were wed. And nineteen years ago, Mikiko gave birth to their daughter – a bright and curious child, filled with the magic of the Faerie, and – in Mikiko's rather biased opinion – beautiful in every way.

They had named their child Sakura, for her Faerie heritage, reflected in the pink hair and green eyes that made her a miniature version of her mother.

But fourteen years ago, her time as a human came to an end. Her power restored, Faerie Law decreed she must mingle among humans no longer. So it was with great grief and reluctance that Mikiko left her husband and their five year old child, and returned to the Otherworld.

A breeze rippled through her leaves, and Mikiko sighed at the welcome weight of the flowers on her boughs, content in the knowledge of their meaning.

Her daughter's Faerie blood meant that four times a year, at the equinoxes and solstices, when the barrier between the mortal realm and the Otherworld grew thin, it was possible for Mikiko to draw her child to the Otherworld through the Sacred Sakura. So four times a year, without fail, Sotaro would bring Sakura to the tree, she would place her tiny hands on it...and she would to be drawn into the Faerie Court, where she and Mikiko would spend the day, before returning in the evening.

Though Mikiko treasured the days she spent with her child, it wasn't enough. She wanted to be able to see Sotaro, to be able to fall asleep beside him, to watch her child play in their garden...

So the Faerie Lord decreed that, in the month when the Sakuras blossomed, she would be allowed to take human form and live with her family in Konoha.

And after another year of longing, that time had finally arrived once more.

Mikiko could feel someone approaching her tree. While not as aware of her surroundings as she would be in the Otherworld or if she was in human form, she was still able to sense when people were approaching her, and overhear conversations held near her.

And she was well aware who was approaching now. She felt it when Sakura looked around the small clearing, checking for any prying eyes. They had learnt the hard way how unwise it was to advertise Sakura's Faerie heritage.

Mikiko had always been worried about her daughter dwelling in Konoha. In a society in which power-hungry ninjas weren't uncommon, she feared that someone would realise what Sakura represented – a link to the Otherworld, and the power the Faerie possessed. Those adept at sensing opponent's auras had already been able to tell that there was something strange about her – something not-quite human. Mikiko had watched a small, pink-haired toddler in the meadows of the village, and been unable to smile for the fear that someday, someone would recognise her for what she was, and she would suffer for it.

Her forced return to the Otherworld only increased her anxiety – what if Sakura's Faerie blood attracted an Otherworldly threat, something Sotaro couldn't handle on his own? Mikiko had tried to convince herself that her family would manage perfectly well without her, that Sakura's Faerie blood was still rather underdeveloped, and it was highly unlikely that anyone would note her pink hair, the fact that she was missing on the days of the equinoxes and solstices, and even then, it wasn't likely they would put the pieces together and realise what she was.

Or so she tried to tell herself. But when someone tried to abduct an eight year old Sakura, Mikiko realised her fears had been justified.

She hadn't been present for the actual kidnap, of course. She had learned about hours afterwards, when Sakura was perched in her branches and crying into her trunk about how scary it had been. From her child's distressed babblings, Mikiko managed to determine that someone had snatched her on her way back from the academy, tied, blindfolded and gagged her, and tried to make off with her. But Sakura's immature powers had responded to her distress in an outpouring of energy, injuring her abductor and forcing them to release her.

Yet that did not ease Mikiko's fear in any way. Where there had been one, there would be others, and Sakura didn't have the power nor the experience to fend off an elite shinobi.

And Mikiko decided there was only one way to keep her child safe.

She had taken Sakura into the Otherworld, intent on sealing her Faerie blood away, cutting her off from her immortal heritage and – hopefully – erasing her appeal to power-hungry maniacs. But her daughter's last visit to the Faerie Court turned into a disaster unlike anything the Otherworld had ever known.

The balance between Skwall and Haevyn was what maintained the Otherworld's existence – a realm so inherently tangled in magic required the yin-yang balance of the two opposing elements to provide stability. If one element dominated, the Otherworld would simply...fall apart.

And that day, in the middle of the Faerie celebration of the summer solstice, every creature present felt Skwall vanish like a physical shock – like a hammer blow to the very fabric of their existence. Mikiko could remember the sickening horror that had shuddered through her body as she lost sight of Sakura in the panicked, milling crowd, the very land around them quivering and thrashing like a snake in its death throes.

But then they'd felt Haevyn vanish too, and as the land stabilised and slowly restored itself to its normal state, in spite of the absence of the god and goddess. Mikiko had hurled herself through the confused huddles of Faerie, screaming for her daughter, until she'd run into the Faerie Lord himself, Sakura safe in his arms.

That catastrophe had only strengthened Mikiko's resolve. If even the Otherworld wasn't safe, then the only way Sakura could be protected was if she became just another ordinary girl. So Mikiko had sealed Sakura's Faerie blood away that very afternoon, leaving her with no mark of her immortal heritage save her soft pink hair and luminous green eyes, and never brought her into the Otherworld again, forcing herself to be content with the one month per year Faerie Law permitted.

The month that was about to begin now.

"Mum...?" came the soft call, telling her it was safe, that no unwanted eyes would witness what was about to come.

"Mum...?"

Mikiko concentrated, feeling her essence shift and change, feeling herself beginning to slide from the tree...

"Mum...?"

With one last concerted effort, Mikiko took human form, appearing to simply rise out of the tree in a mist which swiftly solidified into her mortal shape.

For a moment, catching a glimpse of pale, elegant limbs, soft green eyes and bright pink hair, Mikiko could have sworn she was looking into a mirror. Then she took in the ninja clothes and shinobi trappings, the way the kind, smiling face seemed tired and battered and the hair barely brushed slim shoulders instead of falling past the waist...and realised she was simply looking at her nineteen year old daughter.

_'She looks more like me every year,'_ Mikiko acknowledged, the thought rueful yet at the same time bringing a flash of maternal pride.

"Mum!" Sakura all-but squealed in joy.

She rushed across the grass, hurling herself into Mikiko's arms. For a moment, mother and child simply held each other tightly, absorbing the other's presence like rain-starved grass in a sudden flood.

"It's so good to see you again..." Mikiko breathed, strands of Sakura's pink hair brushing her lips.

"You, too, Mum," Sakura sniffled. "You, too."

"Is Sotaro still on that mission?" Mikiko asked, remembering Sotaro telling her about an extended bodyguard mission about a week ago.

"Yeah, but Dad said he'd be back by this evening," Sakura grinned, slinging an arm around her mother as both women began the long walk back to the Haruno house.

"What's happened this year?" Mikiko inquired, her eyes landing on the bruises decorating her child's skin. "And why are you injured?"

"Well, you remember what I told you about the mission to kill Uchiha Itachi?"

Mikiko nodded. Several months ago, her daughter had arrived at her tree, saying she and her teammates had been given the mission of hunting down and eliminating the murderous Uchiha. She, Naruto, and the newly-returned Sasuke had set off that very evening, and today was the first time Mikiko had heard from her daughter since then.

"Well, he's dead now," Sakura said bluntly. "I don't remember much about the fight – side-affect of the head injury, you see – but Sasuke killed him."

There was something in Sakura's voice that caught Mikiko's attention. A slight hesitation, a longing, a hint of sorrow...

"What's wrong?" she said softly.

Sakura looked down, watching her feet kick small pebbles along the road. "It's Sasuke," she admitted. "I always thought, if he killed Itachi, he'd be...I don't know, better, or something..."

She gave a rueful smile. "Kinda stupid, huh? But if anything, he's worse than before! He locks himself up in his mansion and hardly comes out except to train..."

"He murdered his brother," Mikiko said gently. "No matter that Itachi slaughtered all their family...he was still Sasuke's brother. He needs time to cope with what he's done. Not to mention that, for almost all his life, he focused on being powerful enough to defeat his brother, to the exclusion of all else. Now that his brother's dead, his focus is gone, too...that's a lot to deal with."

Sakura nodded, but her eyes were still distant. Mikiko tightened her grip on her daughter's shoulders in a brief hug.

"Give him time, Sakura," the nymph advised. "But still show you're there for him – be friendly, be supportive...and don't let him chase you away. As long as you and Naruto are persistent, things should work out."

"Sometimes I think persistence is the very essence of Naruto's being," Sakura smiled. "So I don't think we have anything to worry about on that front."

"So, now that you've got the depressing news out of the way, any good news?" Mikiko asked eagerly.

"Well, I told that Naruto asked Hinata out about a year ago, didn't I?" Sakura began. "Well, they were really cute the other day – Hinata's been learning how to cook, and when Naruto tasted some of her ramen he said he thought he'd have to marry her. She blushed so much I thought she was going to have one of those old fainting spells again..."

Mikiko smiled, turning her head to watch her daughter's animated expressions and wide ear-to-ear grins that accompanied her stories.

"...and Lady Tsunade says I'm getting better all the time – she could never use chakra like me when she was my age..."

At that, Mikiko's smile became tinged with worry. She knew that the seal on Sakura's Faerie powers had never been renewed, and was no doubt eroding at a rapid rate, especially given her frequent and extensive use of chakra. Even while she felt a little concerned, Mikiko acknowledged she'd never planned to make the seal permanent – it hadn't been designed to cut Sakura off from her heritage forever, just until she was old enough to understand the danger immortal blood brought.

Mikiko knew she couldn't shelter her daughter forever – it was time Sakura learned to use her Faerie powers...

_AN: Thanks to my brother for beta-reading this chapte_r - _he likes Naruto, too. He writes some stories, too, and I'm trying to encourage him into creating an account, so let's hope we see him around someday! Also, this is my first time writing for Naruto, so I'd welcome any comments.  
_


	2. Awakenings

**Chapter 2**

**Awakenings**

_One year later:_

Sakura's back was cramping, her legs were going numb, and her eyes were beginning to feel sore after staring for so long at one fixed object. But she didn't move, and she was sure anyone passing by would think her crazy for staring at a small strawberry plant as though it were a deadly assassin about to attack at any moment.

But the kunoichi had a very good reason for doing this – she was trying to determine whether or not she'd gone insane.

She had been planning to water her vegetable garden, but as soon as the water hit the soil, she thought she could hear the plant..._sigh_...as though in happiness.

But, twenty minutes on, she hadn't heard anything else. Carefully, as delicately as if she were performing a dangerous experiment, Sakura lifted the watering can and tilted it just slightly over a tomato vine.

Again, a soft sigh drifted to her ears, a sound of relief and joy.

Sakura was rather proud she didn't drop the watering can, but then again, she was a Konoha kunoichi – strange, potentially dangerous, and inexplicable happenings came with the job.

Gently, she prodded the tip of the tomato vine, just to make sure it wasn't some strange prop in another of Naruto's practical jokes. Not only was the tip soft, fleshy and real, but it also moved – looping and curling around her finger like a kitten pleading for attention.

Sakura jumped a little and reeled back, clutching her hand protectively to her chest. She carefully extended her chakra senses, trying to sense any abnormalities or upsurges...but there was nothing. Just the usual background chakra-hum of the village. Even as the vine reached tentatively towards her, while there was definitely _something_ tickling her senses, it didn't feel like chakra.

So what was this? Some sort of new, freaky power brought on by her training with Tsunade?

The vine waved in the air, and while plants had no form of expression, the movement seemed so forlorn that Sakura was moved in spite of implausibility of the situation.

With a small sigh of resignation to the depths of bizarreness her life had sunk to, Sakura stretched out her hand and let the soft shoot curl around her finger once more.

-xxx-

Sakura pushed the final seed into the moist ground, smoothing the soil over it as carefully as if she were tucking a child into bed. She glanced back along the neat, bare rows she had so recently carved into her garden, allowing herself a small, private smile at her handiwork.

Her father had thought she was crazy when she had extended her previously modest vegetable garden to cover half the yard. But seeing as Sotaro rarely ventured out back anyway, he'd seen no reason to discourage her. Sakura had spent the better part of the last few days going over the backyard with some of her mother's old tools, removing large rocks and loosening the ground.

She didn't know why, but ever since she'd first begun to 'hear' plants, she'd wanted more of them around. Sakura had determined that she wasn't going crazy – whatever was happening, she could really hear plants! Of course, what she heard wasn't words or phrases or anything or the sort – it was more like hums and sighs. Conveying...emotions, more than anything else. She hesitated to say emotion in connection to plants, but could really think of no other word for it. And she could make them move, as well, if she wanted – she was currently shaded by a tree she had willed to bend almost double so it's branches could keep the sun from her eyes.

Sakura hadn't told anyone about it yet – some part of her still wasn't convinced she wasn't losing her mind. She supposed it could be something connected to her extensive chakra use – maybe she was somehow tuning in to the chakra of plants? But Tsunade had been training and honing her chakra abilities for years, and she'd never mentioned anything like this.

For a moment, the pink-haired kunoichi wondered if it had something to do with being half-Faerie, then just as swiftly dismissed the idea. She'd been half-Faerie for nearly twenty years, and nothing like this had ever happened before. Besides, her mother had sealed the majority of her Faerie abilities away when she about eight, something about keeping her safe...Sakura supposed the attempted kidnapping had given Mikiko a scare, and maybe it wasn't exactly safe for a half-human to have Faerie powers...maybe it could damage her body or something, and the seal stopped them from doing that...

Sakura went still as a thunderbolt of realisation flared into her mind. What if that was it? What if something was wrong with her seal?

Sakura abandoned her gardening, throwing the small spade to the ground as she sprinted into the house, skidding to a stop in front of the bathroom mirror and spinning on her heel, tugging her shirt up and craning her head over her to shoulder to see the mark on her lower back...

But the seal didn't seem any different. A cherry blossom surrounded by a circlet of twisting vines, leaves and shoots radiating outwards like a sun's beams, the pattern looking like a tattoo that had been drawn in with dark green ink.

Sakura tapped it, prodded it. Nothing happened. She didn't know what she'd been expecting – but she was sure if the seal was starting to fail, she'd see _something_.

_'So...probably not the seal then...'_ Sakura mused, tugging her shirt down again. _'Then what?'_

She returned to the garden and resumed planting, sowing seeds with an absent mind. She had finished planting the watermelons, and was just onto the snow peas when she decided that she should simply examine some of the ninja scrolls tomorrow. After all, if she was performing some kind of strange jutsu – even if she'd never made any hand seals and wasn't using chakra – she was sure to find it somewhere in the vast storehouse of knowledge that was the shinobi's library.

As she pushed the last seed into the dirt, Sakura rocked back on her heels for a moment to survey her handiwork. A small, green-filled square marked the original vegetable garden – the rest was all rich brown soil and loose earth, divided into neat, newly sown rows.

With a broad grin of anticipation, Sakura narrowed her eyes and concentrated...

The ground quivered as seeds abruptly sprouted and shot upwards, growing to full maturity within moments, like one of those nature documentaries on fast-forward. Barely ten seconds after she had ceased her work, the once-bare soil around was rife with rich green plants.

Sakura practically skipped from the garden, careful not to step on any of the plants, humming a cheerful tune to herself.

She'd also discovered she could make plants grow.

-xxx-

Sakura had the wild impulse to throw the scroll through a wall or two, but restrained herself. That would be immature and childish, and Tsunade would probably make her pay for the damages.

But, dammit, she'd been here almost five hours, and she'd found nothing! Even the scrolls that dealt with plant jutsus didn't explain what was happening to her. Though they did mention some jutsus that could have effects similar to what she was doing, they all required hand seals, and Sakura knew she wasn't performing any such seals.

So...what was she doing?

One of the reasons why she hadn't told anyone was that she wanted to figure out what was happening by herself. But it seemed that wasn't going to be happening anytime soon.

With a frustrated sigh, Sakura opened a scroll on sealing techniques, deciding that if plant jutsus were out, maybe it really was the seal...

But the scroll wasn't helpful. It just listed seals, methods of sealing, and their uses. Nothing about seals eroding or wearing off or what happened if such a thing occurred. She had brought a small notebook and pen to write notes, but so far, all she had jotted down were the names of a few seals that seemed similar to the one her mother had placed on her.

She doubted they would be exactly the same, seeing as Mikiko was a Faerie using Faerie magic instead of chakra, but she thought they would be a good place to start. The Shackle Seal sounded like it would provide the same effects as her seal – locking powers or abilities away – but when it was inflicted the person suffered extreme pain, and it was often used to keep shinobi prisoners docile and helpless while they were tortured.

Sakura couldn't remember any pain involved in her sealing. Mikiko had chanted something and touched her back, and then there had been this warm glow that spread throughout her entire body, making her feel peaceful and replete...

So it definitely wasn't the Shackle Seal. Skimming through several other names, she had discovered the Seal of Psion. It purportedly induced a feeling similar to what she'd felt when it was inflicted, but it was designed to combat possession and split personality disorders, repressing and locking away the other entity. Sakura remembered her childhood experiences with her Inner – though said entity had not made an appearance for some time – and quickly dismissed that idea as well.

But she still jotted down information about both seals – she had to start somewhere, right? She was glad her mother was due for a visit soon – she could ask her about these happenings, and if Mikiko didn't know what was happening, then...

Well, Sakura didn't know what she'd do.

"What are you doing?"

Sakura didn't even think about it. Brought out of a deep – however frustrated – reverie, kunoichi instinct drove her to react to the voice and presence she was suddenly aware of, not truly registering how familiar they both seemed until she was in the process of delivering bare-handed, chakra-infused blows to a few of the more critical pressure points.

She could see Sasuke's eyes widen in surprise, caught unprepared, his hands coming up to defend himself. Sakura's lunging arms stuttered in mid-air as she realised her error and tried to correct herself, and her hesitation allowed Sasuke's fingers to close over her wrists, halting her extended fingers inches from his neck.

For a moment, neither moved, both processing the sudden events. Sakura, astonishment at the realisation of just how on edge these mysterious powers had her, and Sasuke, shock that Sakura had just attacked him in the library.

But he soon, recovered, arching one eyebrow sardonically. "Paranoid, Sakura?"

"Only when people sneak up on me..." the kunoichi muttered, extracting her hands from his grasp and taking deep breaths to try to banish the adrenaline humming in her veins.

"I was not sneaking up on you – my footsteps were perfectly audible."

"I was thinking...well, doing research, more like," Sakura amended.

"On what?"

"Nothing much..." Sakura fought the urge to rub at her lower back, where the seal was hidden beneath her shirt.

She had hidden her Faerie heritage from the other children in the academy because her mother had impressed upon her the value and danger of her secret in such a way that not even a child could fail to comprehend it. When she was older, able to use her own judgement, she had toyed with the idea of telling her friends, but had been worried that they might think her a freak – after all, the only reason the Haruno clan hadn't blabbed her secret all over the village was because they were ashamed one of their members had sired such an 'abomination'. Sotaro had never really seemed to regret splitting from his family when he married Mikiko, and the nymph had always told her to never listen to those Faerie that called her a 'monstrous mistake', but Sakura knew that such comments had gone a long way towards shaping her self esteem. Sure, she was better now, but there had still been the lurking, twisting fear that if she ever told anyone what she was, they'd think the same of her.

And then, when Naruto had told her about the Kyuubi sealed inside him...she knew he, at least, wouldn't judge her. She would have told him her secret then, but it had been pushed aside in favour of reassuring him that she didn't think of him as a monster. Since then, though she knew she'd opened her mouth to tell him and the others hundreds of times, she never seemed to be able to get the words out. And the longer she didn't tell them, the harder it was to think of saying it.

But now...she wouldn't really have a choice. In a way, Sakura was almost glad for these strange, inexplicable happenings – at least they were bound to put an end to her procrastination.

But...it didn't seem fair to tell Sasuke first. After Naruto had confided so much to her, she wanted him present when she told her secret for the first time.

She noticed Sasuke's eyes flicking towards the scrolls, and Sakura took a very deliberate step in front of them, turning as she did so and beginning to roll the sheafs of thick papyrus to make it look as though she were cleaning up.

But Sasuke's eyes were keen, and he glimpsed the phrase 'sealing jutsus' before the scroll was rolled up once more.

"Learning to seal, Sakura?" he asked, something in him unsettled by the thought.

Sakura allowed herself a tired smile and smothered a yawn. She had read through more scrolls than she could count, and her brain was screaming for relief from the information overload. "Not really. More like studying long-term effects, or if a seal decays, or what happens when it's put on someone who uses chakra extensively, like me-"

She stuttered to a halt, her eyes wide. She must be far more tired than she thought to let that slip! And she knew Sasuke had caught it – he wasn't called a prodigy for nothing, after all.

"Uh, I-I didn't mean that," Sakura stammered, mentally wincing at how her weak attempts to brush it off were only making it more obvious. "I'm just...you see...you know what? Forget about it, I'm leaving now anyway..."

But as she tried to walk past him – scrolls and notebook in her arms – Sasuke's hand abruptly shot out and reclaimed her wrist once more. Jerked to a halt, Sakura hissed a curse as several scrolls slipped from her grasp and skidded against the floor.

"You could have just told me to stop!" she snapped.

"You wouldn't have listened," Sasuke pointed out, and Sakura had to rein in the urge to take out the past several days of frustration on his face.

But...was it just her imagination, or did Sasuke seem tense?

"Who put a seal on you, Sakura?" Sasuke's voice was tight, like rubber band wound too far and only moments away from snapping.

Sakura fell back on the 'old faithful', so to speak, and decided to play dumb. "What are you talking about, Sasuke?"

Sasuke ground his teeth and made an effort not to scream. But it was difficult while he was staring into green eyes reflecting guilt and a tinge of fear like clear glass windows – Sakura wasn't naturally dishonest...she was always too open with her friends to truly lie to them. She knew something she didn't want to tell him, that much was obvious, and her reaction when he mentioned sealing was a good indication of just what that was.

Sakura had a seal placed on her, that much was obvious. How, where, what kind or how long ago, he had no idea, but the furtive apology swimming in her eyes told him it was there.

Memories of Orochimaru's sealing rose in his mind, as fresh as though it were yesterday, the recollections of feeling some foreign power slithering into him and the unbearable pain wracking his body doing nothing to dampen his ire. The thought of Sakura writhing in pain and clawing at her own skin was not something he liked to envision – it gave him the pressing urge to hurt something, more specifically, whoever had caused her distress.

"You know what I'm talking about," he hissed.

"I really don't," Sakura said, avoiding his eyes as she carefully twisted her wrist out his grip and began gathering the scrolls to try to hide the way she was bordering on panic. She didn't want to outright lie to Sasuke, and he was dangerously close to guessing the truth...

"And if you don't mind, I have to be going now," she managed, shoving the scrolls onto a shelf and bolting.

Sasuke thought about trying to stop her, then decided against it. Something told him that if he pushed her now, it wouldn't end well.

Still, it was a more bad-tempered than usual Sasuke that left the library that day, determined to take his fury out on a tree or ten.

-xxx-

"Hey, Mum," Sakura said, sitting down and leaning against the Sacred Sakura's trunk.

She came to talk to Mikiko as often as she could. It was comforting, in a way – even if her mother couldn't reply, she was at least hearing her, someone was at least listening to her.

Sakura wondered how many times Mikiko had sighed silently in quiet frustration as a small, naïve twelve-year old child lamented over her unrequited love for Sasuke. She couldn't help but admire her mother for her patience, while a part of her noted how little had changed. Except now the body leaning against the tree had finally attained the long-desired curves, she was making a conscious effort to get over the cold-hearted jerk and force herself to hope for nothing but friendship, and her problem didn't deal with matters of the heart, but rather a disturbing increase in her abilities.

"You'll never guess what's been happening..." Sakura continued. "It started when I was watering my garden, and I heard this plant sigh...and then pretty soon I could hear all sorts of plants, and control and make them grow and all kinds of things..."

For a moment, Sakura reflected on how surreal it had been. She'd gained so many new powers so quickly...as though they had always been there and had just awoken out of nowhere.

"I don't know what's happening," she confessed. "I've checked the library for plant jutsus, and read up on seals in case the one you put on me was eroding..."

_That's my girl...and you're right._

Sakura froze. She could have sworn she heard her mother's voice in the rustling of the leaves...

"Mum...?" she barely breathed.

_Yes?_

"I can hear you!" Sakura almost squealed, fighting the urge to leap to her feet. "How can I hear you?"

_If you can hear plants, you wouldn't have any trouble hearing me, would you?_

"I guess..." Sakura said slowly as the words echoed inside her head. It was strange – it was as though she didn't actually hear Mikiko's words, just heard the rustling of leaves and the creaking of boughs and her mind provided the translation. Like a foreign language she was never truly aware she'd learned.

"And you said I was right, so...my seal's eroding?"

_Exactly. The seal was never designed to last forever – just long enough to hide your Faerie blood while you were young and unable to utilise the full capability of your powers. Now you are mature and capable of defending yourself, should the need arise._

"But why the seal?" Sakura couldn't help but ask. "I mean, I always thought that because I was half-human, Faerie powers would tear me apart – like the Kyuubi's powers can damage Naruto – and that's why you sealed them away. But if it was just a question of defending myself...I had powers while I was young, didn't I...?"

_Faerie have very different auras than humans. The same way a skilled ninja can sense chakra, they can sense the presence of Faerie magic – that's why so many know my tree is magical. And while your Faerie blood flowed unhindered through your veins, it broadcasted what you were to every ninja around you. Yes, you had powers, but they were immature and you wouldn't have been able to truly use them for many years yet, and after your kidnap, I knew those powers might not be enough to deter your next attacker._

"So you sealed me."

_So I sealed you. I decided it was better you remain anonymous, than gradually learn about your powers and risk your safety. And when the seal finally began to fade, you would be old enough to truly understand the scope and the risks of your powers._

"Still, you could have at least told me it was going to erode eventually," Sakura grumbled, but she knew her mother could hear the smile in her voice. "I thought I was going crazy at first...and all those hours I wasted in the library doing research..."

_You did research? You did say something about the library..._

Sakura laughed a little. "Yeah – I couldn't figure out what was happening, so I decided the shinobi scrolls were a good place to start."

_Clever girl._

The half-Faerie smiled a little, but then sobered as she continued. "You do realise that I'll...I'll have to tell my friends about this."

_I never thought you would keep it a secret for the rest of your life. I trust your judgement, Sakura...if you think these people will keep your secret, then I have believe they're worthy of it._

"Thanks, Mum."

_AN: Credit for beta-ing goes to my brother, who now has an account under the name Killerbluetac! _


	3. The Faerie's Child

**Chapter 3**

**The Faerie's Child**

"What we need is an Ichiraku closer to my house!" Naruto declared as he and Sakura walked along the road, heading for the distant ramen stand where they planned to meet Sasuke and Kakashi. "That way, I could stuff myself full of ramen, and not have to worry about walking home afterwards..."

Sakura snickered. "Are you sure it's not so that you and Hinata won't have so far to walk after your dates?"

Naruto flushed as red as a raspberry, and stammered incoherently. Sakura grinned, and reached up to ruffle his hair.

"You're just too easy to tease, Naruto," she giggled.

"You can't tease the future Hokage about his future wife!"

"Future wife?" Sakura gaped. "You didn't...you haven't...proposed to her or anything, have you?"

"Not yet," Naruto answered with a dismissive wave. "But I'm going to marry her eventually, aren't I? And we'll buy a house right next to the Ichiraku, and I'll be the Hokage and she'll be the Hokage's wife..."

For a moment, Sakura could have sworn her eyes misted over. Sometimes Naruto was just so obvious and so...happy...in his affection for Hinata, she had to fight the urge to squeal and hug him as though he were a particularly adorable stuffed toy.

"And we'll-hey!" Naruto interrupted himself at the sound of his companion's mirth. "What are you laughing at, Sakura?"

The pink-haired women shook her head. "Just thinking about some things..."

"What things?"

"Well...to be honest I was thinking about back in our genin days and what things were like back then..." Sakura's expression sobered, her smile becoming more wistful than joyous. "I don't know if I've ever told you this, Naruto, but I'm really happy you found someone to love you the way Hinata does."

Naruto's face fell a little – even _he_ couldn't miss the sadness in Sakura's voice.

"Don't give up on the jerk, yet, Sakura!" he tried to encourage. "He was always nicer to you than anyone else, and he was always trying to look out for you-"

"Naruto..." Sakura began in a voice so frosty he repressed the desire to shiver. "Remember when Sasuke came back? Remember what I told you?"

Naruto's brow furrowed as he racked his memory. "That he would never feel anything for you but friendship, so you were going to settle for that, and every time you look or sound like you might still be in love with him, I have to remind you he's a cold-hearted jerk?"

"Exactly!" Sakura nodded decisively. "You have to discourage me, not give me more reasons to keep deluding myself."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Sakura..." Naruto trailed off as he spotted an aging man, bent nearly double with the weight of a bundle of spears.

Sakura saw compassion light in Naruto's eyes, and he leapt forward as the bundle collapsed, ready to do a good deed. She made to follow him...but then she recognised the man.

Haruno Arashi. Sotaro's father. Sakura's grandfather.

And the one who had been the most vocal of the Haruno clan in his disapproval and hatred of Sakura and her mother.

Sakura's steps stuttered halfway across the road, then her resolve firmed. She would not to be chased away by this man, no matter how much his obvious hatred of her stung, and she repeated a mantra that had taken her through much of her interactions with Arashi.

_'He's my grandpa...he's my grandpa...'_

So she pulled level with Naruto, and as one, they both bent to offer their assistance, helping Arashi to gather spears.

Sakura saw the relief and gratitude light his face, a smile easing onto his wrinkled features and making him seem years younger...before he realised exactly who was helping him.

"Get away from me, you damned demon-children!" he spat, knocking their hands away as they outstretched towards him.

Naruto flinched back, but unfortunately, he was well-used to such an attitude. Then his mind registered the plural form, and turned curiously to Sakura for an explanation, only to find her expression tight and gently sad.

"That's not nice, Grandpa," Sakura said softly, determinedly continuing to gather the spears. "Naruto and I aren't demons."

"Don't refer to me in that way, you cursed abomination!" Arashi snarled, almost snatching the weapons from under her hands as she reached for more of them, as though intent that none should touch her skin. "I know what your fellow monster is, and you..."

"Naruto's not a monster, Grandpa," Sakura continued, still in the same soft voice. "He's my friend, please don't call him that."

Naruto blinked at them, unable to comprehend what he was hearing. He'd never heard anyone respond to such vicious insults so quietly, so calmly...and he'd never heard any grandparent speak to their grandchild like this, either.

"Your father should have hung himself before he besmirched our clan's name by taking up with that succubus!" Arashi flung at Sakura, apparently intent on provoking her. "And you, little she-devil, should have been drowned at birth like the mongrel-rat that you are!"

"Hey!" Naruto yelled, starting forward. Old age and familial relationship not withstanding, no one talked to Sakura like that while he was around!

But the kunoichi's hand closed around his arm and brought him up short.

"Don't, Naruto." The sorrowful, pleading tone of her voice caused any protest he might have made to die in his throat. He stood there as though struck mute as Sakura handed the spears to her grandfather, who snatched them away and held them at a distance as though they had been contaminated.

"You really shouldn't try to carry all that on your own, Grandpa," Sakura chided gently. "You should at least get Uncle Natsuo to help you."

"Don't tell me what I should or should not do, aberrant freak!"

To punctuate his sentence, Arashi spat savagely at Sakura. The medic reeled back, catching the globule on the shoulder of her shirt instead of her cheek, and Naruto gave a wordless shout of fury, lunging forward a few steps before she could seize him by the collar and drag him back.

"_Don't_, Naruto," she repeated. "Don't worry – I'm used to it."

And since Arashi was finished gathering the spears, he was already moving on, obviously not wanting to remain in their presence a moment longer than needed. Only when he was a few feet away did Sakura deem it safe to release Naruto.

The blonde was gaping at her, clearly deeply shocked at what had just transpired. She avoided his gaze, wiping the spittle from her clothes with a weary sigh. She knew Arashi's treatment could hardly come as a surprise, but...it still hurt – a low, dull ache in her chest every time something like this happened.

Yet the devil of mischief in her couldn't resist calling out, "Bye, Grandpa, see you in another year or three!"

"Wha...?" Naruto was staring blankly, as though unable to comprehend how she and her grandfather had just behaved towards each other.

"The only way I meet in with any members of my extended family is by chance in the middle of the street," Sakura explained. "So it's usually quite a while between glimpses."

"But..."

"Now, come on, are we eating lunch or what?"

-xxx-

When they reached Ichiraku, Naruto was still incredulous, both at what had happened and at how nonchalant Sakura was about the incident.

"But...those things he said about you!" Naruto spluttered as Sakura slid onto the stool beside Kakashi. "How could you just take that, Sakura?"

"Naruto, let it go," Sakura ordered, as Sasuke and Kakashi turned to the blonde with interest.

"What happened?" the Uchiha demanded, his gaze flickering between Sakura and Naruto like a wavering shadow.

But Naruto wasn't listening, barely glancing at Sasuke as he jumped to the stool between him and Sakura. "He called you an abomination, a freak, a monster-!"

"What?" Kakashi asked, his visible eye widening. "Sakura?"

"Who?" Sasuke all but snarled.

"Naruto, _drop it_," Sakura emphasised. "I told you, I'm used to it – he's been saying those things about me for as long as I can remember."

"But he's your grandfather!" Naruto shrieked. "He shouldn't be allowed to do that!"

"And for the third time...I...am...used...to...it..." Sakura repeated slowly. "Grandpa always calls me a freak whenever he sees me. Uncle Natsuo burns all the pictures of me my Dad sends him. My cousins threw stones at me and chased me down the street when I was five because I'd tried to play with them." She offered Naruto a weak smile. "My extended family has never offered me anything friendlier than what Grandpa just did, and after all this time...I've learned not to expect anything more."

Naruto seemed about to say something, but when the man behind the counter asked for their orders his attention went to his food, though he kept glancing at Sakura out of the corner of his eye. Their other companions, however, were not so convinced.

"What do you mean you've 'learned not to expect anything more'?" Sasuke asked, deliberately leaning around Naruto in an effort to make eye contact. "Your family never..."

"My Mum and Dad love me," Sakura told him, as though this made everything okay. "And even if the rest of my family hates me...I don't hate them...I can't..."

"That's why you just stood there and took it?" Naruto questioned, his words a little garbled with his mouth half-filled with ramen. "I was wondering why you weren't up and punching the guy across the village..."

He seemed to ponder that for a moment. "Why don't you hate him, Sakura?"

"He's a good man," she shrugged, poking at her own food. "I'm sure Kakashi knows what Haruno Arashi has done for this village."

The silver-haired man nodded. "He's considered a war hero, and one of the kindest jonin I've ever met. At least, I thought he was..."

"He is," Sakura nodded. "He just has...prejudices. But more than that...he's my grandpa, and I love him."

Her smile was bittersweet. "Mum always did say I had the foolish, hard-headed habit of loving those who would never love me in return."

Was it her imagination...or did she see Sasuke squirm a little?

"But that's depressing!" Sakura declared, pasting a determined smile on her face. "And we're not here to listen to a sob story – let's eat!"

Kakashi watched his erstwhile student dig into her ramen with an enthusiasm he suspected was largely forced. He noticed Sasuke and Naruto also seemed less than convinced, watching Sakura with slight frowns on their faces, and he thought they too were feeling rather chagrined that they were only learning about this particular facet of their teammate's life now.

For Naruto, it was a little hard to think about Sakura dealing with the kind of attitude he'd had to face most of his life. He supposed that was why she'd been so sympathetic when she learned about the Kyuubi and why the villagers shunned him.

On Sasuke's part, the concept was unsettling. First, that scroll about the seals...and now this? He realised he'd never actually inquired much about Sakura's life – he'd just assumed that because she had a loving mother and father, the rest of her life was normal, too.

But it seemed there was a lot about Sakura he didn't know.

-xxx-

Sakura peered at the recipe book, trying to determine if she had to cook the ham hocks before adding them to the soup.

Sotaro was leaving on a mission tomorrow, one that would probably take him away from the village for a few days. While that meant he would miss Mikiko's return to the human world, he was scheduled to return that same evening, so he wouldn't miss out on too much of his wife's visit.

And to send him on his way, Sakura was cooking her father's favourite dish – pea and ham soup. But she hadn't cooked this for a while, and so was pouring over the recipe book as she shredded some herbs to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything.

Abruptly remembering that she needed some peas, Sakura hurried into the garden, kneeling on the grass that bordered her expansive vegetable garden and began picking handfuls of fresh green peas. When she judged she had gathered enough, Sakura bit her thumb as though she were about to perform a summoning jutsu, letting blood run down her finger as she gently brushed it against the bare stalks of the pea plants...

And the plants trembled, stilled...and then the pods regrew in moments, the plants once again heavy with fruit.

Sakura smiled. The same day she had encountered her grandfather in the street she had also discovered that her blood seemed to have strange properties. For one, if it contacted the ground it seemed to cause dormant seeds to grow, resulting in flowers and grasses springing into being from apparently barren earth, or a particularly thick patch of vegetation to sprout if she was in a field. And if she touched her blood to a damaged plant, the damage was repaired, like healing, but without chakra.

So lost was she in her thoughts, she was only brought out of her reverie when the pea plant closest to her twined around her bleeding finger. Sakura watched it for several moments, puzzled, as it traced across her skin...

And as it drew gently across the self-inflicted cut, Sakura felt a cool tingle – like a trickle of ice water, and as she watched, the cut closed and healed, like an errant pencil line wiped away with a single stroke of the eraser.

"Woah..." Sakura breathed, then hurriedly bit another of her fingers, just to see the closest plant lean over to wipe the wound away.

She felt a broad grin tug at her lips. So, she could heal plants...and it seemed they could return the favour.

-xxx-

Sakura took a deep breath, wiping her sweaty palms on her shorts.

_'I'm going to tell them today,'_ she vowed, repeating it in her mind like a chant. _'I'm going to tell them today...'_

She probably wouldn't get a better chance. Mikiko's month in human form began this afternoon, so she could tell her friends her secret and introduce them to her mother on the same day. And maybe they wouldn't hate her too much for keeping this a secret all these years.

Ino was out on a mission, so the group of people Sakura wanted to tell first would only consist of four – Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi and Tsunade, her friends and teachers, and those she'd always felt closest to.

Now, she just had to find them...

Naruto was easy – seeing as it was nearly noon, he'd be at the Ichiraku, getting lunch. But Sakura decided not to enlist him just yet – Hinata had mentioned she might be meeting with him, and Sakura didn't want to intrude. They'd be nice and forgiving even if she did, no doubt, but she felt they deserved a nice, interruption-free date, when they were so close to their two-year anniversary.

Tsunade was always in her office at this time, under the strict eye of Shizune. Sakura knew she shouldn't drag the Hokage away from her duties until the last minute, but that left either Sasuke or Kakashi, both of whom were notoriously difficult to locate, so she should really go to Tsunade anyway and get her to contact them...

With a sigh of defeat, Sakura knocked on the Hokage's door.

"Come in," she heard Tsunade call from behind the door.

She obeyed swiftly, shutting the door behind her, before turning to face her mentor...and her body froze in shock.

"Lady Tsunade?" she asked, wondering if it was really her mentor behind that desk, and not some cunningly disguised doppelganger.

Because she'd never seen Tsunade attack her paperwork with that much fervour. For a moment, Sakura considered backing quietly out of the room and leaving the sannin to her rare moment of productivity, but then remembered her vow to cease procrastinating. Hard-working Tsunade or no hard-working Tsunade, those around her were going to know the truth about her today!

But she couldn't resist asking, "Is there any particular reason you're working so hard, Lady Tsunade?"

"Shizune hid my sake," Tsunade grumbled. "And it's not in any of the usual places, either. She said if I finished half my paperwork, she'd give me a hint."

Sakura struggled to hold in her smile – she had a feeling it wouldn't be appreciated.

"Well, I assume there's some reason you came in here on such a wonderful sunny day like this..." Tsunade continued, a hint of bitterness in her tone.

Sakura's good humour suddenly deserted her, her previous panic descending in a torrent. "Well...you see...there's something I have to tell you...but not only you, Naruto and Kakashi and Sasuke, too, and I need to tell you all at once or I'm sure I'll lose my nerve because I don't think you'll like what I'm going to say-"

"Sakura, calm down, you're babbling," Tsunade said, worry lines beginning to crease her forehead. Sakura was normally rather unflappable – what could have reduced her to a flushed, stammering mess?

Sakura took several deep, even breaths to calm herself down, and attempted to swallow the heart that had taken up residence in her throat. "I need you to get Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi here...there's something I need to tell you all..."

-xxx-

Sakura resisted the urge to perform the handseals necessary to banish an illusion. When Tsunade had sent her messenger birds out, she expected Sasuke and Naruto's prompt arrival, and then expected to wait for perhaps an hour or so until Kakashi turned up.

She hadn't expected Kakashi to enter the Hokage's office right on Naruto's heels. Sakura had the urge to look outside and make sure the sky wasn't falling.

Then she shook her head roughly. She wasn't going to get side-tracked by the eerie incident of Kakashi's punctuality – she was going to tell them about being half-Faerie now!

"I have something to tell you," she blurted out as soon as everyone had entered, determined to charge through her revelation before anyone could say anything or she could lose her nerve. "You see, I'm...I'm..."

Another deep breath – she was stuttering too much. _'Calm down,'_ Sakura coached herself. _'Think this through...talk slowly and calmly...'_

"Sasuke," she began again, looking carefully at their shoes so she wouldn't have to see their faces. "Do you remember when you found me looking up seals in the library?"

Sasuke stiffened. Whatever he'd been expecting when the Hokage had called them in...it wasn't this. Was Sakura going to admit she'd had a seal placed on her?

"Well...the reason I was looking them up is...because of this." With that, Sakura turned around, grasping the hem of her shirt and tugging upwards, feeling a slight shiver of unease as she bared the seal for all to see.

_AN: Thanks, as per the last two chapters, to my brother for beta-ing. And this is completely unrelated, but has anyone else noticed the possible connection between Uchiha Obito and Tobi of the Akatsuki? Tobi is said to have a very similar personality to Obito, we only ever see Tobi's right eye (and it was Obito's left eye that was transplanted to Kakashi), Obito's body was never recovered, and Tobi's manner of speech seems to indicate some sort of trauma or mental conditioning. I've very behind on the manga/anime – my usual store being severely Naruto deprived – so I don't know if this has been confirmed or made implausible by the latest storyline, but I just thought I'd point it out._


	4. The Nymph's Seal

**Chapter 4**

**The Nymph's Seal**

Sasuke felt every muscle in his body clench tight. He'd suspected, all but known, that Sakura had somehow had a seal placed on her...but there was a difference between knowing it as an abstract concept, and seeing it with his own eyes.

The dark green seal stood out on her pale skin like a brand, a cherry blossom surrounded by a circlet of tangling vines, shoots radiating outwards like a child's drawing of a sun. It was the most intricate seal Sasuke had ever seen, looking more like a highly detailed tattoo than the mark of a specialised jutsu.

And one part of his mind – a part he desperately wanted to silence – was reminding him that the intricacy of a seal was a good indication of how long it took to cast on the subject. The same part was also noting the position of the seal – Sakura's lower back, the lower edge of the circlet of vines hidden by the waistband of her pants – and that to place a seal on someone required physical contact with the part of the body it would appear on.

For someone to place the seal there...Sakura would have to have been face-down on her stomach, with her shirt pushed up and her pants down...and she would have remained like this – sickeningly vulnerable and probably incapacitated so she wouldn't interfere with the jutsu – for some time, while the seal was cast on her. Something in his chest constricted as as nasty voice in the back of his mind wondered if that was all that had been done to her. The seal _was_ in a rather intimate position, she would have been only partly-clothed and completely at the enemy's mercy...

"Gods..." Tsunade breathed, bringing Sasuke out of his increasingly sickening line of thought. "I've never seen a seal so intricate...it must have taken hours to cast..."

"About two," Sakura said honestly, remembering how Mikiko had impressed upon the need for stillness, how she'd fought not to squirm as gentle warmth enveloped her back...and how she'd eventually dozed off during the proceedings.

Two hours. Something lurched in Sasuke's stomach, bringing an unpleasant sensation of vertigo. For two hours, at least, she'd been helpless in the enemy's grasp...it wasn't inconceivable they might have decided to do more than just curse her...

"_Who?_" Sasuke didn't even recognise his voice, it was so warped by fury. He set his teeth and tried to speak in a more moderate tone, one that Sakura might actually be able to understand. "_Who did that to you?_"

Sakura risked a glance over her shoulder, catching sight of his enraged expression.

"You're not taking this well, are you?" she muttered, trying not to wince. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea...

Sasuke clenched his fists so tightly the knuckles bleached and bulged like a skeleton's. Not taking this well? Of course he wasn't taking this well! Someone had sealed her and done gods knew what else to her, and she expected him to take it calmly?

"This seal was placed on me when I was eight years old," Sakura explained, temporarily derailing Sasuke's train of thought.

_'Eight years old?'_ he asked himself. _'She had a seal on her for over a decade and she never told anyone?'_

"Who put it on you, Sakura?" Kakashi asked, trying to keep his voice gentle.

"My mother," Sakura answered promptly, then dropped her shirt and turned around again.

"Your mother?" Tsunade echoed. "Why would your mother..."

Naruto, who had been unusually silent ever since she showed them her seal, simply frowned, as though in thought.

Sakura grinned a little shyly. "Why don't you guys come meet her? I think it'll explain a lot..."

-xxx-

Sasuke hated ignorance. On a mission, ignorance could get you killed, so he made sure he understood every detail of every possible contingency plan and every aspect of the target's skills before he even set on foot outside Konoha. He didn't like not knowing what was happening.

Which could account for his increasingly black mood as he trudged along Konoha's main road, following a woman with more secrets that anyone had a right to be keeping after eight years of acquaintance. Granted, it wasn't precisely eight years, more like three when he didn't include the time he'd spent away from Konoha...but that still seemed far too long to keep something as big as a cursed seal secret.

_'Of course, you're conveniently forgetting everything you've kept a secret, everything you've hidden or tried to hide from her, aren't you?'_ asked a voice in the back of his head.

Sasuke told the voice to shut up – they had more urgent things to worry about now than a little hypocrisy.

"Hey, Sakura, wasn't that your house?" Naruto piped up, pointing at the house they had just passed – a comfortable-looking two-storey with a brightly-coloured flower garden in the front.

"Yes, it was," Sakura agreed, but her purposeful stride never faltered. "You see, my Mum isn't at our house. She's been...away...for a while, and she's only just coming back today."

Sasuke frowned. While he didn't find the prospect of intruding on what would probably be a very mushy reunion pleasant, he was also wondering why Sakura's mother had been absent from Konoha. While he was aware her father was a ninja – Haruno Sotaro was an elite jonin known for requesting brief missions when Sakura was younger, presumably to stay with his family – but as far as he was aware, her mother had never even enrolled at the academy. And if Sakura's mother wasn't a ninja, why would she have left the village?

_'Maybe she has family somewhere else in Fire Country,'_ he told himself. _'Or maybe she was originally from one of the other hidden villages and returned for a visit. But from what Sakura told us, she isn't close to any of her family...so then...what?'_

"Your mother's coming here?" Tsunade asked, jerking Sasuke out of his thoughts as Sakura led them into one of the meadows near the river.

Sakura smiled a little awkwardly as she pushed onwards, entering a small grove of trees. "Not quite here..."

They emerged into a small clearing, sheltered and cool, with a large sakura tree beside the river. Sasuke realised that Sakura had led them unfalteringly, unerringly, to the Sacred Sakura. With a brief glance at their surroundings, the coral-haired medic cupped her hands around her mouth and called loudly.

"Mum?"

Silence. Sasuke wondered what she was doing, and judging by the expressions on Naruto, Kakashi and Tsunade's faces, he wasn't the only one who thought her behaviour inexplicable.

"Mum?" Sakura called again.

This time, the branches of the sakura tree shivered, though there was no wind to move them.

"Mum?"

A sound like a sigh rippled through the clearing, and what looked like soft curls of green-tinged smoke began to leak from the trunk. Sasuke automatically took a step backwards as the air became filled with tangible power – not chakra, but an otherworldly force that made his breath catch in his throat.

As the astonished onlookers watched, the smoke shifted and solidified, becoming a tall woman clad in a diaphanous white gown, with long pink hair cascading down her back.

"Wow..." Naruto gulped.

"Gods..." Kakashi said.

"It's true..." Tsunade barely breathed. "A nymph in the Sacred Sakura..."

But they were cut off when Sakura suddenly ran across the clearing, the wind tearing at her clothes and hair, her face elated as she shrieked one word.

"Mum!"

And to everyone's shock, the nymph smiled broadly, and opened her arms. "Sakura!"

-xxx-

Sakura could practically feel her friend's astonishment as her mother swept her up into a desperate embrace. She clung to the nymph fiercely, her arms tight about Mikiko's neck, her eyes squeezed shut as if to somehow pour every ounce of love for her mother into the embrace.

"Sakura..." Mikiko breathed in her daughter's ear. "I missed being able to hold you."

"Me too, Mum," Sakura sniffed. "Me too."

"Wait a minute, stand back, let me look at you," Mikiko instructed. "Let me see how my daughter's grown..."

Sakura felt the nymph's gaze run over her from head to toe, missing no detail.

Mikiko's eyes grew suspiciously misty. "I think you're getting more beautiful every year."

Sakura flushed with pleasure at the compliment. "Thanks, Mum."

"Your friends?" Mikiko asked, taking a glance at the array of shocked faces several feet away.

Sakura nodded, taking her mother's hand. "Come meet them."

Sakura felt a little ashamed as she led the nymph forward, looking at her friends' shell-shocked faces. Maybe she should have prepared them for this...

"Let me guess...Tsunade, right? The Hokage?" Mikiko hazarded, extending her hand to the blonde woman. "Sakura speaks quite highly of you."

Tsunade belatedly remembered to close her mouth – long ago opened in sheer surprise – and shook the proffered hand. "Yes, that's right."

"Kakashi? You trained my daughter, yes?" Mikiko said, turning her attention to the masked jonin. "She holds your teachings in high regard."

Only years of practice enabled Kakashi to keep his visible eye expressionless and bland as he shook the hand of the nymph.

Mikiko offered her hand to Naruto next. "Uzumaki Naruto? The Kyuubi vessel?"

Naruto nodded, unusually silent as he took her hand.

Mikiko smiled reassuringly. "Sakura talks of you often – and with great affection."

"Really?" Naruto brightened. "I won you over eventually, eh, Sakura? But too bad, 'cause my heart belongs to Hinata now-"

"Not that kind of affection, Naruto," Sakura giggled. "Platonic affection. Friendly affection. Sisterly-like affection."

Mikiko turned to the final member of the group. "And Uchiha Sasuke? I've heard of you, too."

Sasuke tried not to be perturbed when Mikiko did not expand on Sakura's regard for him. Since his return to Konoha (when he wasn't brooding on the killing of his brother and how empty it had made him feel) he had been diligently trying to puzzle out whether or not Sakura still harboured feelings for him. She no longer hung on his every word, she no longer chased after him begging for dates...and in spite of himself, Sasuke found himself missing it.

Yes, about half the female population of Konoha had thought themselves in love with him at one time or another, but Sakura was different. She'd been in his team, she'd seen him at his best and at his worst, she'd held his hand when he'd been in the throes of Orochimaru's curse seal, helpless and agonised, she'd cried for him when he appeared to have died beneath Haku's assualt...

In short, Sakura was the only person who had seen every side of him, both good and bad, and still regarded him as someone worthy of affection and devotion. And in spite of himself, Sasuke found himself missing those bright smiles and tender words...because they were the only time in his bleak life when he ever felt anything close to peace.

"I'm Haruno Mikiko," the nymph continued. "Sakura's mother."

"You're...a nymph..." Tsunade said slowly, obviously having trouble with the concept.

"That's right," Mikiko nodded.

"So...this is my big secret," Sakura confessed. "I'm half-Faerie."

But judging by the expressions on her friends' faces, she knew she still had a lot of explaining to do.

-xxx-

Later, as they sat around the small, homey kitchen/dining room in the Haruno residence, Sasuke still couldn't believe what he'd just learned about his teammate. He made a conscious effort not to stare at the sakura nymph waltzing around the room, taking down cups and plates like she belonged there.

But then again, she _did_ belong there, didn't she? It was her home.

As Sakura and her mother poured drinks and chatted, Sasuke couldn't help noticing the resemblance between them. He remembered glimpsing Sakura's father once – a dark-haired, dark-eyed man – and wondering at the little resemblance they shared. He remembered assuming that it was Sakura's mother the medic derived her physical traits from.

And now he could state, quite confidently, that Sakura definitely got her looks from her mother. The same pink hair, the same green eyes, the same milk-pale skin, even the same lithe, slim build and gentle elegance to their movements. Save for her shorter height and less refined – more human – features, Sakura was almost identical to Mikiko.

Almost identical to the nymph.

And that was what Sasuke was having trouble accepting. His mind just couldn't seem to wrap itself around the concept of Sakura being part-immortal. On the way home, Mikiko and Sakura had explained about the circumstances that had led to the nymph and Sotaro's marriage and subsequent parenthood, and how Sakura had been sealed off from her Faerie abilities when she was eight after an attempted kidnapping.

"But now, the seal's eroding," Sakura finished, setting drinks down in front of the guests. "So my powers are coming back..."

"What sort of powers?" Tsunade asked.

Sakura extended one hand in demonstration, towards the potted fern seedling on the windowsill. She concentrated, and the fern began to sprout rapidly, shooting towards maturity, until a fully-grown fern stood proudly on the windowsill.

Sasuke blinked, a little unsettled by the casual display of such unusual powers – even knowing Sakura was half-nymph hadn't entirely prepared him for seeing a plant move and grow simply because she willed it.

But strangely enough, Mikiko seemed the most astonished of them all. "How did you do that?"

Sakura stared at her mother. "I just will it to happen...and it does..." she said slowly, as though wondering if Mikiko was losing her mind. "Faerie powers, Mum...remember?"

"But you shouldn't be able to control all plants!" Mikiko blurted. "You should be able to hear them, yes, but the only ones you should be able to actually control are the sakura trees!"

Sakura frowned. "Maybe my human blood makes it work differently?"

Mikiko still seemed unsettled, but nodded slowly. "I suppose..."

"Well, what about other half-Faerie, what powers do they have?"

Mikiko shook her head. "That's just it, Sakura – there are no others...there has never been a half-Faerie before."

"Never?"

"Never. The circumstances of your conception were...unique...to say the least, and there has never been a child like you in all the long centuries of Faerie history. To be honest, I think it's why so many of them disliked you..."

"Don't like new, strange things, huh?" Sakura said with a rueful grin.

"They just didn't understand you."

"The Faerie don't like her?" Tsunade asked, frowning.

"The unicorns seemed okay with me," Sakura said honestly. "And most of the nymphs...the Faerie Lord seemed to like me just fine – he let me sit on his lap once. And when I got lost the last time I visited the Otherworld and the Faerie Court, he was the one to bring me back to Mum."

"The Faerie Lord let you sit in his lap?" Kakashi echoed. He, like all other residents of Konoha, had heard legends of the Faerie, particularly of their shape-shifting, prophetic Lord. He, like all the other guests at the Haruno's table, was having trouble reconciling the image of Sakura – who had never shown a hint of any preternatural powers, save perhaps, her perfect chakra control – being part-Faerie, crossing to the Otherworld and being cuddled by their Lord.

Amazing...the one member of his genin cell who had never seemed anything but ordinary, was turning out be one of the most patently extraordinary of all.

Sakura laughed in fond remembrance. "Yeah – he was always much nicer to me than any of the other Faerie. Never knew why though...and when I stopped visiting, I couldn't ask him..."

"You don't go to the Otherworld anymore?" Tsunade cut in, mildly puzzled.

Sakura shook her head, and Mikiko spoke. "The day I sealed Sakura, I was determined she should sever all connections to the Otherworld. And the day I took her for one last visit...was a day of disaster for the Faerie."

A small, pregnant pause.

"Do you know of the goddess Haevyn and the god Skwall?" Mikiko continued.

"Skwall, the sky god and the destroyer and Haevyn, the land goddess and the healer," Tsunade summarised. "They exist in a careful balance of yin and yang, good and evil, and so ensure stability in the Otherworld and this world."

Mikiko nodded. "Except that they aren't existing in harmony anymore. The day I brought Sakura to the Otherworld for the last time...we – all the Faerie beings – felt as though something was wrong. And then...we felt Skwall vanish."

Heedless of the murmurs of astonishment, the nymph continued. "The Otherworld was drastically thrown out of balance, the very earth began to quake beneath our feet...and somehow, in the confusion, I lost sight of my daughter."

One hand extended to brush against Sakura's shoulder, as though Mikiko was unconsciously reassuring herself of Sakura's presence and health. "I panicked, of course – with the balance destroyed, the Faerie Court was practically tearing itself apart. But then there was this blinding flash of light...and we felt Haevyn vanish as well."

"And so, with neither deity present, the Otherworld didn't tear itself to pieces, because it was in balance again," Kakashi assumed.

"Exactly," Mikiko confirmed. "Everything settled, and the next thing I know, the Lord of the Faerie is handing Sakura back to me, with her smiling serenely as though what had just happened had been of no real consequence."

"I was eight years old!" Sakura defended.

The nymph cast a rueful smile at her daughter. "Well, when Cohen handed you back to me, and you let me hug and fuss over you...he said the strangest thing..."

There was a soft pause while Mikiko gathered her thoughts. Sakura had a moment to reflect how surreal it was that neither Naruto or Sasuke had said a word throughout the entire discussion. Sasuke, she could understand...but Naruto? And yet, here he was, the infamous loudmouth at her table, silent and looking uncharacteristically serious, a small line between his eyes as though worrying over something.

"He told me to keep you safe," Mikiko remembered. "He told me 'hope is always in our children...and I feel this child in particular will grow to be more than anyone expects'."

"Why?" Tsunade wondered aloud.

Mikiko shrugged. "Maybe because both Sotaro and I fought so hard for our daughter when all of both worlds were against us. The Haruno clan disowned Sotaro for marrying me against their wishes, half the Faerie wanted me forever expelled from the Otherworld-"

"Was I really that much trouble?" Sakura asked, looking distressed.

"We didn't mind," Mikiko said honestly, reaching over to playfully ruffle the pink locks that were so like her own. "You're our child, Sakura – Sotaro and I love you more than anything else in the world."

"Love you, too, Mum," Sakura laughed.

Mikiko smiled, looking around the small kitchen, taking in the photos stuck to the refrigerator with chipped magnets, the battered crockery that lined the shelves, the unwashed dishes piled in the sink...and found herself wanting to laugh.

This was her home – her family's home. And she'd never felt more happy to be here.

Usually, she always felt a slight pang when leaving the Otherworld – the realm humans inhabited seemed like a pale shadow compared to the splendors of the Faerie Court – but this time, there was only relief when she assumed her human guise.

For Mikiko was a nymph, more attuned to the land than most Faerie, and for some time now she'd been feeling something changing within the Otherworld. Something growing, something coming...

Something dark...

_AN: Thank you to my brother for beta-reading this chapter._


	5. The Calm Before The Storm

**Chapter 5**

**The Calm Before The Storm**

"More tea?" Mikiko asked, taking Kakashi and Tsunade's empty cups.

"No, thank you," the Hokage said weakly, staring out the window where Sakura was showing off her enormous garden to Sasuke and Naruto. But their expressions were sombre, and she knew what they were discussing was far more serious than vegetables and plants.

Sakura was half-Faerie. Sakura, her apprentice, one of the most aspiring medic-nins in Konoha, the girl she thought of as having the capacity to surpass her...was half-Faerie. Sakura, who had never seemed to have anything but an ordinary home and family life...had a sakura nymph for a mother, had made regular visits to the Otherworld, and had interacted with nymphs, unicorns, and even the Faerie Lord himself on a regular basis.

No matter how many times she told herself that, it had yet to stick. Her mind just couldn't grasp the concept of Haruno Sakura as a part-Faerie who could control plants. It seemed too crazy, too unreal...

Still, as she watched her student's pink hair flash in the sun like the feathers of a brightly-coloured bird, Tsunade couldn't help but think it made a strange kind of sense. It explained Sakura's pink hair, for one, and the Hokage could admit she'd sometimes wondered why a ninja would name their daughter after a flower...

"Is that why you called her Sakura?" the blonde woman asked. "Given her heritage, it seems very..obvious."

"Actually, her pink hair was the inspiration," Mikiko replied. "I must admit, I never expected my daughter to look so much like me...Sotaro and I assumed her human blood would dominate her Faerie, and she would resemble her father...but she surprised us."

"She can do that..." Kakashi mused, his own eyes drawn to the three young ninjas in the garden below.

He remembered taking his genin team to climb trees, explaining the principals of chakra manipulation, expecting Sasuke to grasp it first, only to be astonished when Sakura climbed all the way to the top of the tree on her first attempt. And during those disastrous chunin exams, Sakura had been one of the few who didn't fall under the genjutsu spell...

Kakashi found himself wondering just how many of these incidents he'd overlooked. Just how many subtle hints and tiny clues he had been given throughout the long years of knowing Sakura, hints and clues that the pink-haired girl was not what she appeared, hints and clues that he'd missed. He, who always preached about seeing through deception and reading underneath the underneath, had somehow remained oblivious to Sakura's true parentage, the closely-guarded secret summarised in the dark green symbol imprinted onto the small of her back.

How much about his third student did he miss while he was busy with Sasuke and Naruto? Was he so blinded by the supposed prodigy and the alleged 'dead-last' that he completely overlooked the female member of his team?

"On some level, I think I even hoped that our child wouldn't look like me," Mikiko admitted, dragging Kakashi's attention back to the conversation. "I hoped the pink hair would darken to red or brown so she'd look more normal...so the other children wouldn't tease her for her hair..."

The nymph laughed gently, yet sadly at the same time. "Imagine my surprise when they decided to focus on her forehead instead."

Tsunade nodded vaguely. She held a fuzzy recollection of Sakura attempting to boost a beleaguered young genin's confidence by relating her own story of childhood bullying, hoping to inspire the girl to fight back. Sakura had admitted that she herself had never stood up to her tormentors, something she regretted to that very day.

The Hokage remembered her surprise at the idea of her headstrong apprentice submitting tamely to bullying, but having listened to Mikiko describe the attitude Sakura faced from her own family, Tsunade thought she could understand. After all, if you were used to receiving scorn and hatred from people you loved, it wasn't much of a step to take it from vindictive strangers.

She took another glance out the window, just in time to see Sakura tackle Naruto into a hug, and Tsunade hid a smile.

She had a feeling her apprentice's friends had accepted her.

-xxx-

"This was where I first started hearing plants," Sakura told Naruto and Sasuke, kneeling in her substantial vegetable garden – she'd brought her two friends out here while Tsunade and Kakashi remained inside with Mikiko. She laughed, shaking her head ruefully. "I thought I was going crazy."

Naruto said nothing, just stared at the strawberry plant that wrapped its leaves around Sakura's fingers. A little worried, Sakura tried to catch his eye, but he was staring fixedly at the garden.

Naruto's mind was still processing everything he had just learned. Sakura...was half-Faerie. In truth, this didn't really unsettle or unnerve him – Sakura could have told them she was a ten-tailed demon and it still wouldn't change the fact that she was his friend – what bothered him was the fact that Sakura had never told him about it during all the long years they'd been friends. Even when he told her about the Kyuubi, she hadn't said a word.

And he had to wonder why. Didn't she trust them? Was she scared that they'd think differently of her? Well, he supposed they had to think a bit differently of her now, but didn't she know nothing could ever make him hate or reject her?

"Naruto?" Sakura questioned softly. "Are you...okay...with this? With me being the way I am?"

"Of course I'm okay with it, Sakura!" Naruto defended loudly, then grew solemn once more. "But...why didn't you tell us? Didn't you trust us? Didn't you trust...me?"

"It wasn't that!" Sakura hastened to explain. "Well, I suppose it was at first – I mean, I didn't even know you guys and I had no idea how you'd react, and then when I got to know you better, when I knew you wouldn't betray my secret..."

She trailed off for a moment, looking uncomfortable, before finally admitting, "I was a coward, alright? I didn't have the guts to admit I'd been hiding something from you for so long, that I wasn't what I said I was. I knew I'd have to tell you eventually, but I longer I stayed silent the harder it became to talk about it, and when you told me about the Kyuubi..."

Another slight hitch in the streaming monologue, as though the half-Faerie were gathering her thoughts. "Well, at first, I was too caught up in reassuring you that I didn't think any less of you, in thinking about what you must have gone through, and as I said, after that it just seemed so awkward to talk about...'hey, guess what, I'm half-Faerie' seems kinda stupid, you know? I know that's no real excuse, but it's the truth. I opened my mouth to tell you so many times...and then I'd just lose my courage. I didn't feel like I could just tell you out of the blue..."

Naruto grinned, and Sakura knew in that instant that she was pardoned. Sometimes she was honestly astounded at Naruto's capacity for forgiveness. She knew she had not been the nicest of teammates when they were just genin, but he had still looked out for her, still been kind to her. And it was that same quality that had allowed him to accept Sasuke back, in spite of everything that had happened between them.

Someday, Sakura knew, he would be a Hokage like no other.

"Okay...but you know you can tell me anything, right Sakura?" Naruto said, grinning enthusiastically.

Sakura couldn't help herself. Relief and happiness rose in a swelling tide – relief that her friends had proved so trustworthy, so accepting, and happiness that Naruto was the way he was – and she threw herself on him in a tackling hug.

"_Sakura?_" Naruto yelled, tilting backwards and collapsing on the grass with the medic on top of him.

"Don't ever change, Naruto," she mumbled, her voice muffled by his jacket. "Don't ever change."

Sasuke scowled at the embracing pair, and fought to suppress the bubble of jealousy swelling in his throat.

"And I know I can tell you anything, Naruto," Sakura finished, easing herself off him and allowing him to breathe again.

"Yeah, 'cause we're the best of friends, right, Sakura?"

"That's right," she nodded decisively. "Hey, at least now you know why my family doesn't like me."

"Just because you're half-Faerie?" Naruto muttered, as though he couldn't believe it. "Like you could help that..."

Sakura shrugged. "No more than you could help having the Kyuubi sealed within you, Naruto. And the villagers hated you for that, didn't they?"

"I guess..." But Naruto was still frowning, and Sakura felt like hugging him again. To Naruto, the suffering of someone he cared about was always more important than his own hardships.

"When did you first realise that...that you were different?" he asked, not looking at the medic's face, opting instead to stare at the pale, neatly-folded knees that rested in the small line of bare earth that bordered her garden. His voice was soft, hesitant, searching for common ground.

"I think I always knew it, on some level," Sakura said quietly. "I mean, you never see any other children with pink hair, do you? But, when I really, truly realised that my family would never accept me...I think it was my first day at the academy..."

Sasuke stared at her, watching her eyes grow slightly unfocused as Sakura looked beyond the rows of plants and into her memories.

Naruto's eyes lit with sympathy. "What happened, Sakura?"

The Uchiha remained silent, watching and absorbing his teammates interactions, trying to learn about this new side of Sakura the way he'd gone through most of his life – by silent observation.

"I saw one of my cousins, Reika, in the hall," Sakura began, her fingers beginning to fiddle with the hem of her shorts. "I was never allowed to play with my cousins, my aunts and uncles having the opinions they did...but Dad always pointed them out to me, saying I should know my family. Anyway, I thought that, away from her parents, we could play, you know?"

Naruto nodded.

"So, I walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder, trying to get her attention. She didn't turn around. So I tried again. Reika looked back at me...and swept her arm into my stomach, knocking me to the ground and winding me."

Sakura took a deep breath, mentally shrugging off remembered pain. "But later that day, Reika was playing with her little sister Ami and her big brother – his name's Haruto, and he made ANBU this year – and I tried again. I went up to them, and asked if I could play with them. They looked at me for few seconds...then Haruto bent down and picked up a rock..."

Naruto winced in sympathy, having experienced such things himself.

"Still, who cares what they think," the medic snorted, waving a dismissive hand. "I have you guys, right? And Mum and Dad and plenty of people who love me just the way I am."

Sasuke blinked, her tone striking him as just a little too flippant. "You...don't care?"

"Of course I care," Sakura shrugged. "I love them, don't I? No matter how often it happens or how 'normal' it becomes, you can't really get used to it when someone you love treats you like that. So, yes, I care, but I can't let that one pocket of melodrama consume my life. And maybe one day, they'll realise they've been bigoted and foolish, and then I'll be able to welcome them with open arms."

Sasuke had opened his mouth to tell her that would never happen, but Naruto got there first.

"Yeah, they're bound to see the light eventually, Sakura! No one can hate you for long! And then you can have big family parties at your house and show off your garden and talk with all your cousins and you'll invite me and the jerk because we're your friends-"

Sakura giggled and Naruto continued to relate the story of her fictitious family reunion, the circle of invited guests gradually widening until they included almost everyone Naruto knew, and the plethora of imagined friends only giving him more ammunition to make his stories more outrageous.

"-and we'll have to keep Lee away from the sake so he doesn't trash the place, but Granny Tsunade will appreciate it if you have some there, even if it's only a little bit-"

Sakura was laughing and swatting at the blonde, who was gesticulating wildly as his winding story reached its climax, and Sasuke was left staring at his teammates in honest amazement.

He'd once thought optimism was just cloaked naivety, or denial of the truth of the world – something borne by those who had never seen the face of horror. Now he was beginning to understand that for some – for Sakura and Naruto – optimism was simply a rejection of cynicism, a refusal to be embittered. Sometimes, Sasuke envied them that.

Naruto's narrative dwindled, then trailed away into silence. He seemed to be sinking into his previous sombre mood.

"You'd...you'd really forgive them, Sakura?" he asked, watching the movements of her fingers as she stroked her plants as one would pet a favourite dog.

"I'd like to think so," the medic sighed, brushing a pink lock out of her face. "Probably because of my parents – Mum especially. She says that among the nymphs, love is considered the greatest gift anyone can ever hope to give or receive. They hold it in such high regard, they call it 'Haevyn's Blessing'. And I was raised with those ideals, so I'd like to think I can do them proud."

"But no more secrets!" the blonde reiterated, wagging his finger in her face as though she were a misbehaving child.

"No more secrets," Sakura agreed. "I promise I'll tell you anything and everything from now on, Naruto."

She smiled at the self-proclaimed future Hokage, but couldn't help but notice that Sasuke had a strange expression on his face – as though he were going through some sort of internal struggle.

"Sakura..."

She turned to him and waited expectantly.

"You know...you can tell me anything, too."

_'There's definitely something supernatural at work here,'_ Sakura thought, dumbfounded. _'Tsunade working hard, Kakashi on time, Naruto silent for minutes on end, and Sasuke attempting an emotional outreaching...maybe this wouldn't be a bad day to buy that lottery ticket...'_

Naruto seemed to be similarly surprised. He was blinking at Sasuke as though he was not quite sure he could believe what his senses were telling him. It was one thing for Sasuke to respond to an emotional declaration, but to actively reach out to someone...?

Then she realised Sasuke was looking uncomfortable, and deciding that the first effort to connect with someone in who knew how long should be encouraged, Sakura smiled reassuringly at him.

"I know, Sasuke, I know," she said, trying to give him her brightest smile. "After all, you're my friend, too, right?"

"_Sakura?_" they heard Mikiko call, interrupting their conversation as she half-leaned out the kitchen window. "_Could you grab some tomatoes for the salad tonight?_"

Sakura nodded and waved, then turned to her garden and plucked several tomatoes, setting them gently on the ground beside her, for lack of a basket or bag. To her friends' surprise, she then bit her finger and smeared the blood on the broken stalks she'd plucked the fruit from. There was a soft hum of power, and the fruit grew back, as ripe and healthy as ever. Before either of them could comment, the tip of the tomato plant moved, running across the cut on her finger, the skin knitting together behind it, healing smoothly over without a mark to show the flesh had ever been broken.

"Woah, Sakura..." Naruto gaped. "That was freaky! How'd you do that?"

"I found out that my blood could heal plants a while back.," the medic admitted. "And then I found out they could heal me, too. I read up on some legends of the Faerie, they say some tree nymphs can restore themselves or renew their energy using plants, and apparently I can, too."

"You're going to be so great on missions, Sakura!" Naruto enthused. Then, seeming to realise that his comment might be taken as a disparagement on her previous level of skill, he hastened to add, "Not that you're not great now...but with plant-attacks and all..."

Sasuke could certainly see Naruto's point. If Sakura was telling the truth about plants being capable of restoring her...it might be impossible to exhaust her or drain her chakra as long as there was vegetation around. Added to the fact that she could persuade plants to entangle her enemies...

"My powers are mostly passive," Sakura commented. "I mean, I may be able to get plants to ensnare someone or something like that, but...they're still plants. They can still be cut through, still be torn apart...I suppose if I used trees or something like that...but in short, I think they're more beneficial defensively rather than offensively. Just as long as I don't sprout leaves or anything..."

Sasuke blinked. "What?"

Sakura elaborated. "It's like this Sasuke – you're human, so your natural state is a human body. Any Faerie magic that tries to make you otherwise is going to take a lot of effort, because the body wants to remain in its natural state, right? Faerie, while a little more malleable than humans, have their own natural state, depending on what they are. Most can assume a human form – like Mum – and indeed, stay in that human form for most of the time, even if it's not their natural state."

"So you're saying...?"

"My Mum's natural state is a sakura tree, Sasuke. My Faerie blood was sealed away for most of my life, and now that it's coming back...I'm just hoping mine won't turn out to be the same. Still, my human blood should dilute it enough so that I won't be growing roots anytime soon..."

Naruto sniggered. "So if I come over one day and see a sakura tree in the yard...should I assume it's you?"

"Idiot..." Sasuke muttered.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "That's the most extreme scenario, Naruto, and I don't think it'll happen anyway. Like trees, nymphs live for hundred of years – Mum is about three hundred and eighty years old, and she was about thirty years old before she was considered an adult by Faerie standards."

Naruto frowned. "What's your point?"

"My point is that as far as that goes – my growth, development, aging and the like – it's been like I have no Faerie heritage at all. I grew normally, I matured normally, I've never seemed far younger than I actually was...my human blood's dominated my mortality so far, and there's no real reason to assume it won't continue to do so...while you can argue that my Faerie blood has always been sealed so it couldn't affect me, I'd still like to think that I'm not going to be living for centuries-"

"Sakura!"

The half-nymph's companions turned at the deep, roughened voice, to see a man with tanned skin, black hair and dark brown eyes making his way into the yard, a small pack slung over his shoulder and bristling with weapons. Memory tickled at Sasuke's mind – he'd seen that face before...

"Dad!" Sakura cried, completely forgetting about the tomatoes beside her as she leapt to her feet. "You're back!"

"Sotaro!" The Haruno's front door flew open, and Mikiko descended the stairs in a whirl of pink hair.

The family met in the middle. Sotaro dropped his pack to the dust, heedless of the kunais and shuriken that scattered across the ground, his arms opening to embrace the women he loved. Mikiko flung her arms around his neck, their lips meeting in a passionate, desperate kiss. Sotaro's right arm wound around her waist to pull her closer, as his left caught Sakura about her shoulders and pressed her tightly to his side.

Tsunade and Kakashi stepped out the door, obviously following in Mikiko's wake just as Naruto and Sasuke rose from the ground to follow Sakura...and all four paused, struck by the image the three presented.

Mikiko, the tallest of the three, was making no attempt to hide the fact that her eyes were glimmering with moisture as she broke the kiss to rest her cheek on top of her husband's head. Sotaro pressed the side of his face to her neck, his eyes closed as though reveling in the moment. Sakura, caught within their arms, seemed somehow on the outside, but still inarguably a part of the joyful reunion.

"I think that's our cue to leave," Kakashi said, his voice breaking through the trio's bubble.

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry," Mikiko stammered, breaking away from her husband and flushing slightly. "Sotaro, we have guests – Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Hatake Kakashi, and I'm sure Lady Tsunade needs no introduction."

"My Lady Hokage." Sotaro inclined his head in respect, but his eyes were wary, as though wondering why so many people were gathered in his front yard.

Sasuke's impression of Sakura's father was of a capable shinobi, despite being unusually short for a fully mature male, the lines around his mouth testifying to long years of experience. There was a protective tightness in the way he held his wife and daughter that told of the many times he'd been forced to defend his choice from the verbal slurs of his own family. But it was the expression in his eyes that was the most familiar to Sasuke – it was the same kindness and determination he saw in Sakura every day.

The medic wasted no time in explaining. "I told them, Dad. I told them about being half-Faerie."

"Oh, is that all?" Sotaro exhaled as though in relief. "And here I was thinking someone had died."

"You don't mind?" Sakura asked.

"I always knew you'd tell them someday," Sotaro admitted. "The question was just when and how. So..." His eyes flickered over the faces arrayed around his family, his dark eyes lighting with a spark of protectiveness. "They take it okay?"

"I think so," Sakura grinned. "I have good friends and teachers, Dad."

"And I'm glad you do," her father smiled.

"As Kakashi said, I think we'll take our leave now," Tsunade interjected.

"You don't have to leave," Mikiko said politely, though it was obvious she wanted time to be alone with her family.

"Really?" Naruto brightened. "Well, if you think-"

He yelped as Kakashi caught hold of him by the ear. "No. We're going," the jonin said firmly.

"Bye, Sakura," Naruto called as his former teacher dragged him away.

Kakashi gave a careless half-wave that Sakura assumed was a farewell. Sasuke followed at a more sedate pace, a single, mute nod serving as his goodbye. Tsunade excused herself and made her own way down the road, muttering something about paperwork and hidden sake and what she was going to do to Shizune when she got back.

"Bye!" Sakura called, waving after her friends and teachers.

Sasuke allowed himself a swift glance behind him at the small family waving them off. It was a strange sight. The elegant, ethereally beautiful nymph, tall and slender, her features sculpted in impossible, otherworldly beauty. The short, robust human, the rough features looking as though they had been carved with an icepick next to the Faerie's, his dark colouring contrasting sharply with his wife's paler hues. And in between them, Sakura, looking like her mother's younger sister rather than Mikiko's child, but the curves and lines of her face and body blunted and roughened by her human blood – looking like a Faerie, but with the unmistakable features of a human.

Yes, it was a strange sight, but it was still one that seemed somehow right, this small family that had defied family, society and magical law to be together.

-xxx-

That night, after a cheerful dinner and a game of throwing soap suds while washing the dishes, Sakura had the strangest and most terrifying nightmare in her long history of nightmares.

_AN: Once again, a big thank-you to my beta, my brother. _


	6. Hybrid Vigour

**Chapter 6**

**Hybrid Vigour**

_Sakura was standing in the streets of Konoha, the roads empty and she alone, with black, opalescent smoke curling in between the buildings and spilling onto the streets like condensing fog. She felt something coming, heard something breathing, but when she tried to turn around she seemed rooted to the earth._

_Something rustled, but all Sakura could do was blink. It was as though she were strapped to the very air around her – no matter how much she strained, she couldn't even twitch her fingers. Terror choked her – even though she couldn't see anything, she somehow knew that whatever was behind her was the most terrifying, horrific thing she would ever encounter. The smoke condensed around her, thick and poisonous, scratching at her throat like claws. She was forced to close her eyes against the acrid sting..._

_And when she opened them again, Konoha was burning._

_The buildings all around her were engulfed in flames that roared high into a sky filled with flying ash and coals. Bodies littered the streets like fallen leaves in autumn, and the cobblestones beneath her feet were slick and sticky with congealing blood. Trees and plants were withered and dead, as though the very land had been blighted, and the earth itself had split apart, a deep rent running down the middle of the street and on into the distance, as though gouged out by a monstrous claw._

_She made one last effort to turn around but the seal on her lower back exploded into fiery splinters of agony. Sakura screamed, dropping to her knees. Behind her, something laughed._

When she woke up, her heart was galloping in her chest, her sheets were damp with sweat...and her seal was prickling uncomfortably.

"Sakura, are you alright?" she heard her mother's voice call through the bedroom door. "You were shouting..."

"I'm fine, Mum," Sakura called back. "I just had a nightmare..."

She rubbed at her seal, wincing as a twinge of something close to pain shot up her spine.

"Just a nightmare..." she repeated, as though trying to convince herself.

-xxx-

That morning, washing up the breakfast dishes with Mikiko, Sakura asked her mother about it. She described the nightmare only briefly – she was more concerned about her seal's reaction to it.

Mikiko frowned. "As far as I know, the seal should only respond to upheavals in your Faerie blood...and there isn't much left of the seal at this point..."

"So...a nightmare shouldn't cause it to hurt?" Sakura queried, her green eyes puzzled.

"Definitely not...unless..."

"What?" Sakura asked eagerly when the nymph didn't elaborate. "Unless what?"

"Well, some of the Faerie have sensed an...upheaval...in the Otherworld as of late. Nymphs, unicorns, those closest to the land...we've sensed something...dark...evil. Considering that your Faerie powers have only recently been unleashed, it may be..."

"That I'm somehow picking up on this as well?" Sakura finished. She supposed that explained the way the seal felt...but the nightmare? Maybe her unconscious mind sensed the danger, and somehow translated it as meaning danger to Konoha?

"Does anyone know what's causing it?" the medic asked.

Mikiko shook her head. "As I said, the only Faerie that pick up on it are those with the closest link to the land. Other than that, it's dormant...as though it's biding its time. Some of the nymphs think it's Skwall, returning now that Haevyn is gone..."

Sakura frowned, anxiety flashing through her eyes before Mikiko hastened to reassure her, "I don't think it's anything of that magnitude, though. If it was, I'm sure the other Faerie would have sensed it, right? It's probably just one of those things that happen from time to time...like when that dragon tried to take Skwall's essence into himself..."

"But that was hardly anything to celebrate, was it?" Sakura pointed out, recollecting her mother's stories of the circumstances that led to her brief jaunt in human form.

Mikiko's smile was bittersweet. "Maybe not...but I'm grateful it happened, anyway. Yes, I lost friends in that battle, but if I hadn't drained my powers so severely, I would never have been forced into a human form. And if I had never been forced into a human form...well..." She looked around at the house, the photographs of her family stuck to the fridge and those framed on the shelves. "None of this would be here now."

Sometimes, the idea frightened Mikiko a little. One different decision, one wrong choice...and her daughter would never have existed.

Sakura, for her part, was still puzzling it out in her head. "But still...even if it is just 'one of those things', as you put it...why can I sense it? I mean, I would have thought my human blood would have diluted my Faerie powers, but it actually seems to...to have..."

"Enhanced them?" Mikiko guessed. "I wondered about that, too – I still do, for that matter. But perhaps it's a result of the combination of chakra and Faerie abilities."

"Meaning?"

"Faerie use magic, but humans can't," the nymph explained bluntly. "Just as humans use chakra and Faerie are unable to. Maybe the combination of the two powers don't diminish or dilute each other, but somehow combine to enhance each other instead."

Sakura frowned, thinking it over. It was a strange theory to swallow, but the more she thought about it the more it made sense – Mikiko's theory alone would go a long way toward explaining her perfect chakra control as well as her unusual Faerie abilities.

_'Or maybe I really am just a freak,'_ Sakura allowed, but the thought was amused rather than bitter.

-xxx-

"So...you're really a half-Faerie?" Ino repeated, rolling over in the grass to stare at her friend.

The blonde had returned from her mission just a few hours ago, and Sakura had promptly dragged Ino to her house, to meet her mother and receive the same explanation the others had received. And now a dazed Ino was lying beside her friend in the meadow she'd often caught Shikamaru cloud-watching in.

"Yeah, I'm really half-Faerie," Sakura nodded. "Ever wonder why my hair was pink?"

"That's a point," Ino mused. "I always figured you were stuck with some weird genes."

"Well, that's true...except my genes are a lot weirder than just pink hair."

"And you always smelled like cherry blossoms, too," Ino pointed out. "I figured it was some kind of shampoo or body wash, except it never seemed to fade, and it never seemed particularly strong after you had a shower or anything...it was just always there..."

"Another side-effect of having a sakura nymph for a mother," the medic sighed. "It gives me no end of trouble on stealth missions though – because the scent's so distinctive I have to rub this oil on my body to mask it so dogs and the like can't detect me as easily."

Sakura was lying on her stomach, the hem of her shirt crumpled around the middle of her back, allowing Ino to view the dark green mark imprinted onto her skin. Staring the Faerie seal, the blonde touched the symbol with a curious finger, tracing the circlet of twisting vines.

Sakura shivered, and Ino withdrew her hand. "Does it hurt?"

"No – I'm just ticklish."

Ino nodded, relaxing on her back once more, staring up at the sky. Sakura's eyes slid closed as the sounds of the forest filled her ears. She'd grown accustomed to hearing plants, and now their cries and sighs were like white noise – humming unobtrusively in the background, but something she could tune in to whenever she wanted to. It was rather like having an extra sense – it made everything around her so much _more_, and at the same time, it was so...peaceful. Peaceful and relaxing to be connected to everything around her like this.

Ino was silent for so long Sakura found herself starting to doze, then was startled back to awareness by the blonde's voice.

"I don't know what he sees in it."

"Huh?" Sakura mumbled, blinking and yawning. "Who sees in what?"

"Shikamaru," Ino explained. "Cloud-watching – I don't know what he sees in it."

Sakura thought for long moments. "I don't know – maybe he just tries to pick out shapes?"

"You think he just lies on his back all day trying to see shapes in the clouds?"

"Well...this_is_ Shikamaru we're talking about..."

Ino sighed. "I guess..."

"Speaking of which, I'm surprised we haven't seen him," Sakura murmured, her eyes slipping closed once more. "This is one of his favourite cloud-watching fields, isn't it?"

"Probably still in bed, lazy bum..." Ino grumbled, but there was a hint of affection in her tone. "I swear, if he wasn't a ninja – and if it wasn't for me storming over there and making him socialise occasionally – he'd never bother getting up at all..."

Sakura hid her smile. "Maybe he does it on purpose."

"What?"

"You know, stay at home and laze around just so you'll charge in there and drag him out and make him laze in the fields instead of in his bed..."

"You mean he's purposefully making my day harder!" Ino shrieked, starting to climb to her feet. "And he calls me troublesome! That idiotic, misogynistic-"

Ino's words broke off in a yelp as Sakura grabbed her wrist and tugged sharply. Caught off-balance, the blonde teetered precariously for a moment before tumbling back down to the grass in an undignified heap.

"I didn't mean it like that," Sakura tried to explain. "And from what I've seen of Shikamaru, I don't think he's an idiot or a misogynist. Chauvinist might be closer, but even that seems to be stretching it."

"I'll give you the idiot one," her friend grumbled, still looking irritated. "But what do you mean, 'he's not a misogynist'?"

"Misogynist implies someone who hates women or thinks they're of lower status, socially speaking. Shikamaru may mutter about girls being 'troublesome', and how he doesn't want to fight them, but I don't think he hates them. And I've never seen him try to order you around-"

"He's smarter than that," Ino snickered.

"And he's sort of right," Sakura finished. "In some ways, you _are_ 'troublesome'."

"Really?" Ino's face fell.

"Don't look depressed – it's a good thing to be. Keeps your life from getting boring."

"But, but..." Ino was looked so downcast Sakura was starting to become sorry she'd ever said anything. "But I don't want to be troublesome..."

"Why not?"

"..."

Sakura grinned. Even though Ino knew she was well aware of the blonde's feelings for Shikamaru, Ino still didn't like saying it aloud. Sakura supposed she could understand – after all, while Ino knew of her persistent (painful, and by this point, damned annoying) feelings for Sasuke, it wasn't something she liked discussing.

Still, what was friendship without a little teasing?

"It wouldn't have anything to do with a certain someone's goal to live an ordinary life on an ordinary salary and marry an ordinary woman, would it?" she needled.

"Well, he did say it was what he wanted to do..." Ino mumbled, flushing slightly. "And he always calls me troublesome..."

Sakura snorted. "And you're going to assume that, because of that, he'll never like you because of something he said when he was twelve? What were your goals when you were that age?"

Ino thought back, remembering her blind devotion to the task of winning Sasuke's heart. "Point taken. But...but he never seems to spend time with me of his own free will – it's always because I find him cloud-watching or whatever, and he always grumbles whenever I manage to find him..."

"But he _lets_ you find him, doesn't he? He's a genius, Ino – if he ever really wanted to avoid you, I think he'd find a way."

"I guess..."

"Besides," Sakura continued, in the tone of one who was certain this decided the argument, "He calls you troublesome far too often. There's a line between genuine irritation and protesting too much, and he crossed it long ago."

"You think so?"

Sakura couldn't help remembering Ino's long-dead crush on Sasuke. Back then, she'd been so bold, so brash, shouting her adoration for the Uchiha to anyone who'd listen. But now...Ino was hesitant, almost painfully insecure, and barely dared to whisper her feelings for Shikamaru to Sakura.

Somehow, everything about that made it seem – to Sakura – as though Ino's feelings for Shikamaru ran far deeper than those she'd harboured for Sasuke. With Shikamaru, there was far more on the line – Ino feared Shikamaru's rejection more than she'd ever feared Sasuke's.

"Don't worry – he'll come around," Sakura encouraged. "What man could resist you for long?"

Ino's soft smile told Sakura that while the blonde appreciated her efforts, she was nowhere near convinced. Realising that Ino was beginning to become truly uncomfortable, Sakura let her friend change the subject.

"So...what did your Dad's family think of him getting married to a nymph?"

Sakura scowled. "They hated it – they hate me. I've never really known why...maybe it's just a fear of the unknown or something like that..."

The medic stilled momentarily as she felt a chakra signature approaching, then relaxed as she recognised who it was. Sasuke – probably on his way to training.

"You don't even know why they hate you?" Ino asked, her eyes wide.

"Oh, they hate me because I'm half-Faerie," Sakura answered promptly. "They've made that abundantly clear – calling me demon and monster as they did, it wasn't like I could miss it. Never actually found out what they had against Faerie, though..."

She shook her head. "I suppose it doesn't really matter but sometimes...I feel so guilty, you know?"

"For what?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura turned her head in shock. She had known Sasuke was passing through the field, she just never expected him to stop and actually attempt to converse with them.

"Hey, Sasuke..." she began uncertainly. "Something wrong?" Maybe they were needed for a mission and he was sent to fetch her...

"No," Sasuke said bluntly. "Answer my question."

Sakura's irritation rose like a bristling dog's hackles at his casual order, but she restrained herself. After all, Sasuke – in his own pushy, socially-challenged way – was showing concern, so she should act nice and try not to kick him in the shins, right?

"I feel guilty because I'm so much trouble," Sakura said bluntly. "The Haruno clan refuses to have anything to do with my father because of me. A lot of the Faerie shun my mother because of me. When Mum left, Dad had to sacrifice his career as a shinobi to take care of me. And sometimes I wonder...I wonder if I'm worth it."

Then the half-Faerie shrugged carelessly, as if dismissing her worries like smoke. "Still, my Mum used to tell me that if one person in this world loves you...then that's all you need to justify your existence. She and Dad love me...so I suppose that's enough."

"You said your Dad sacrificed his career as a ninja?" Ino queried. "How'd he do that? I mean, he's a jonin, isn't he?"

"Yeah, but he spent the proverbial prime of his life looking after me. When Mum had to go back to the Otherworld, Dad effectively became a single parent, and he had to cut back on work to take care of me. Those years in which he was most physically capable – in which he could have become a great ANBU – were spent at home, cooking dinners and washing clothes. In essence, my father had to choose between me and a career as one of the top shinobis."

Another grin. "And since Haruno Sotaro has never made it to the ranks of those like Kakashi or the ANBU...I think you guys can guess who he chose. But when I asked Dad if he minded, he always told me his ninja arts wouldn't come charging home from the academy demanding to tell him everything they'd learned that day, they wouldn't give him clumsily-made, handwritten cards on Father's Day...and they certainly couldn't love him back."

The medic sighed, and collapsed back into the grass with a rueful chuckle. "So I guess I should stop doubting my parents – I mean, I'm sure they knew what they were doing."

"Exactly!" Ino nodded decisively, then snickered as a blue-winged butterfly landed on the tip of Sakura's nose, probably attracted by the pink hair that fanned out around her head like a halo and the distinctive scent of cherry blossoms. "Even if your family thinks you're a demon and a monster...well, what do they know? You're my friend, and I say you're okay!"

"Thanks, Ino."

Sasuke looked at Sakura, the half-Faerie sprawled comfortably in the grass, the butterfly's wings shivering where it was perched on the tip of her nose, her eyes slightly crossed as she tried to look at the tiny insect.

Though he'd never admit it, Sasuke privately agreed with Ino – he was well-acquainted with demons and monsters, and he thought he'd never seen anything that looked less evil.

-xxx-

Sakura settled herself comfortably in the clearing, assuming the lotus position and closing her eyes, breathing deeply and evenly as she tried to clear her mind.

Tsunade had taught her the art of meditation when she first started her training, saying it could help with chakra control. The point of meditation was for the person to still their mind and body, and from there, tap into and manipulate their chakra. Meditation gave a distance and a clearheadedness you couldn't find in the heat of battle.

Sakura felt her mind begin to drift free, and set about probing the depths of her consciousness. Naruto had once compared reaching for his chakra to dipping into a well – though he did mention it was different when he used the fox's chakra – and Sakura thought he was right. It was like a well of power – the deeper you reached, the more you could draw out.

But Sakura wasn't planning on drawing out power – at least, not today. Today, she was simply exploring. She felt herself reach into the well, but this time she wasn't seeking the depths, but the edges.

She found the seal, once thick and impenetrable, cutting her off from her powers, it was now more similar to a grate. She could reach through like a child reaching for coins in a drain, and draw out some power...but she soon realised she couldn't draw on all of it.

That was a startling discovery – her seal was still holding something back. Sakura stretched the limits of her mind, straining towards that which hovered just out of reach, feeling her seal beginning to prickle and sting as she brought her will to bear against it.

For just a moment, barely longer than a heartbeat, a split-second in which the seal seemed to give somehow...Sakura touched something within herself. Something strong and immensely powerful, something as ancient as the very earth...

But as soon as she touched it, Sakura was jerked out of her meditative state by the noise of the trees around her. They were rustling, humming...someone was approaching, leaping through their branches rather than leave tracks on the ground.

Without opening her eyes or changing her position, the half-Faerie extended her senses, relaxing as she recognised the chakra signature of her old teacher. She wondered what Kakashi was doing in the forest at this time of day, her puzzlement only deepening when she felt him stop in the branches of a tree just over her head, as though he was watching her. Still, she gave no indication she was aware of his presence, waiting for him to give some sign of his intentions first.

Kakashi watched, hidden in the branches of a tree, as Sakura meditated in the clearing. At least, he assumed she was meditating – her eyes were closed, she was in the lotus position, and she hadn't moved. As his senses automatically scried her chakra, he reflected it was becoming easier to tell what Sakura was. There had never been anything particularly unusual about her chakra signature beforehand, but now there was a strange tang in her aura – like a single, jarring note in a melody. It wasn't anything loud or overt, but it was enough to signal to a skilled ninja that the coral-haired woman wasn't entirely human.

"Yo!" he called, dropping smoothly to the ground, hoping to startle her.

Her was disappointed when Sakura simply smiled without opening her eyes. "Hey, Kakashi, I was wondering when you were going to come down."

"You knew I was there?" Kakashi asked, raising an eyebrow.

She opened her eyes, the bright lime irises darkened to deep emerald with contemplation. "You were sitting in a tree, Kakashi – I hear trees, remember?"

"They tell you when someone's approaching?" Kakashi said, his tone one of some surprise. If that was true...it might now be physically impossible to ambush Sakura unless she was in a desert or someplace similarly devoid of plant life.

Sakura titled her hand from side to side, as though illustrating someone's questionable sanity. "Sort of. Not with words or anything like that, but they make noises...like animals do, you know? And I've come to learn what those noises mean, like dog owners know that when a dog whines beside its food bowl it's asking to be fed – a lot of it is Faerie instinct anyway. I was doing some meditation, trying to learn more about my powers, and I heard the trees, and...I knew someone was coming."

"I would have thought your mother would be out here with you," the older man commented, fishing for information. "Wouldn't she know the most about your powers?"

Sakura shrugged diplomatically. "I think our powers are just too different. Faerie don't use chakra – they're physically incapable of it, just as humans are physically incapable of using magic. When you combine the two..." She made a vague gesture with her hands. "They seem to change each other. Mum tried to instruct me in magic, and I didn't pick up a thing. But when I tried it on my own, with a different approach or a different technique, it seems to work. Mum thinks the combination of human and Faerie blood make my powers too different for her to teach me, so it was best I just continued what I'd already been doing – discovering them on my own."

Kakashi made a non-committal noise, watching as the medic stood, stretching lazily. "Did it go well?"

"I think so. But the seal's still there, and it's still keeping something back. I don't know what, and I was trying to find out when the trees told me you were coming."

The masked jonin seemed about to apologise, but Sakura waved it off. "Don't worry about it – if it's inside me, I'm sure I'll find it again. Did you need me for anything?"

"...not really," Kakashi admitted.

Sakura frowned. "Are you okay, Kakashi? You seem...bothered by something."

Kakashi resisted the urge to shift on the spot – it always made him uncomfortable when people read his intentions that easily.

"Not at all," he lied smoothly. "After all that's happened, I just wanted to talk."

Sakura's eyebrows rose playfully. "Talk? You and me? Now I know something's wrong. You 'just talk' with Sasuke. You 'just talk' with Naruto. If you've got bad news, give it to me quick."

It was meant as a joke, but her smile fell away at the look in Kakashi's visible eye.

Kakashi knew she'd meant it in jest...but her words had more than a slight grain of truth to them. For many days after meeting Sakura's mother, Kakashi had been mentally berating himself for not realising what Sakura was. On some level, he knew it was rather ridiculous – she'd been training for years with a sannin who'd never suspected anything – but he couldn't help it. He had felt that he should have noticed _something_ about the pink-haired girl.

But then, as painful and undeniable as ever, cold logic had told him that he had never spent enough time with her. He had tried to deny it, had fought for memories of true, meaningful connection with the female member of his genin team...and he had come up blank. He had dissected his team dynamic like a surgeon, seeing with hindsight what had never quite made it to the forefront of his mind back then...that he had taught Sasuke, yes, and to a lesser extent, Naruto, but most of what Sakura learned from him was probably incidental.

The idea hurt, cutting as deeply as any kunai. The idea that Sakura, ignored by the family she loved, had then been ignored in turn by her teacher, the person who was supposed to train, educate and encourage her. It made him wonder why she had put so much effort into keeping in touch with him when Naruto left for his training with Jiraiya and she was with Tsunade, why she had so stubbornly dragged him to Ichiraku and forced him to socialise...

"Kakashi..." Sakura said quietly, laying a comforting hand on his arm. And as though she had read his mind, she continued, "I never resented you for favouring Sasuke and Naruto over me...I was used to it."

He stared.

"And I loved you anyway," she finished, beaming.

Kakashi blinked. "How did you...?"

"You got this guilty look in your eye after my poor attempt at a joke," Sakura explained. "It wasn't hard to tell where your mind was going."

"I don't understand," he said honestly, after a short pause. "How can you just dismiss it like that?"

"The same way Naruto can," Sakura shrugged. "After all, the villagers have treated him in much the same way – worse, really – and he's only ever wanted to protect and help them."

Kakashi took a moment to remember the days when Sakura used to be exasperated and irritated with Naruto every other minute. But that had changed. Now, when she spoke of him, there was a soft light in her eye and a proud tone in her voice, as though she was talking of a much-loved brother.

Sakura noticed the nostalgic look in Kakashi's eyes, and thought she knew of a way to make him feel better. "Want to help me with this new technique?"

She watched Kakashi raise his eyebrow, probably wondering what he could assist her with.

"Mum told me stories about Faerie being able to infuse humans with their power...to a small extent and for a brief period of time, they can sort of work through the person. All you have to do is sit down with me, and let me take your hands."

Kakashi smiled slightly and did as she instructed. He was a little intrigued by the prospect of being granted Faerie abilities, if only for a short time. He wondered if this practice was what spawned the legends of vessels and oracles of the gods.

Sakura took his hand in her own, her eyes sliding closed as she concentrated. For several moments, they remained like that – facing each other as they sat cross-legged on the ground, their arms extended and hands linked – before Kakashi felt anything. At first, it was a faint pulse of warmth in his fingers, like a dying heartbeat, and then...

His awareness _expanded_.

It was the only way he could describe it. Beforehand, he had been hearing the whispers of the wind through the trees around them, and the soft song of birds. Now, he was suddenly hearing a whole realm of sighs and murmurs and soft, plaintive moans that were, he realised with a measure of astonishment, coming from the trees and grass around them. Where he had dismissed the plants around them as merely part of the scenery, he now found his attention drawn by the slightest shift of a leaf. The subtle creaking of boughs suddenly gained depth and meaning, each soft noise telling him how the tree shifted and grew.

But it went beyond even that. It was as though he could feel the trees and plants around him, like and yet unalike the way he would detect an enemy's chakra. As though he could have been deaf and blind, and he would still be able to tell the exact location, description and species of every form of vegetation. The entire forest had suddenly become...alive...to him.

_'This is what a nymph feels...'_ Kakashi thought, a sense of wonder growing in him. _'This is a Faerie's world...'_

_'This is Sakura's world...'_ he told himself, watching the medic open her eyes.

"I think it worked," he informed her. "I can...feel...the plants around me. It's like..."

Words failed him. A smile danced on Sakura's face, but her eyes were still shadowed, as though she was concentrating deeply. She snapped her eyes closed again for an instant, and Kakashi felt his awareness of the forest fade back to a human's as she severed their connection.

"Woah..." Sakura sighed, her eyes flickering open again. "That's a lot more tiring than I expected."

Kakashi was puzzled. "How so?"

"It was hard to control the amount of power I gave you. If you think of my Faerie powers as a dammed river, I had to somehow let only a small trickle of water leak out, while the rest of the river surged against the dam walls, fighting to get out as well."

"Poetic," Kakashi complimented.

"Thanks. I can't give you too much power, because human bodies don't deal with Faerie magic very well – if I give you too much, I could cause you physical damage. At the same time, I had to make sure I was feeding enough into you to give you a glimpse of what I feel."

"Not too much, not too little," Kakashi summarised. "A tricky balancing act. Why didn't you tell me what you were doing?"

"I just assumed because I can control chakra fairly effortlessly, this would be easy as well." She gave a tired smile. "Guess I was wrong, huh?"

With that, the half-Faerie simply lay back, her legs unfolding and her arms extending above her head, her fingertips stroking the stalks of the grass almost unconsciously. Her breathing began to even out, her green eyes growing unfocused as though she were slipping into some sort of trance. As Kakashi watched in bewilderment, the grass bent towards her as though Sakura were some sort of vacuum, stalks, leaves and small wildflowers brushing against her skin.

"What are you doing?" the jonin couldn't help asking.

"I'm drawing energy from the plants around me." Sakura's blank gaze didn't alter, leaving Kakashi rather unsettled as he stared at her glazed eyes. It gave the impression he was talking to a sleep walker. "They can heal me if I'm damaged very quickly, but for some reason it takes longer to restore me if I'm just tired."

"And the eye-thing?" Kakashi asked. Was it just his imagination, or was he seeing...flickers...in Sakura's blank eyes? Were those really small flashes of other colours – blue, brown, grey and yellow – or was it just a trick of the light?

Sakura exhaled, as though in a sigh of relief, and blinked slowly, finally focusing on her mentor's face. Her green eyes – which had been dulled slightly with exhaustion – were now as bright as clear emeralds, and apparently fully aware of her surroundings once more.

And all hints of the mysterious colour-change faded.

"What eye-thing?" Sakura frowned. "There's an eye-thing?"

"You get this really distant look – like you're sleeping with your eyes open. And it looked like there were these flashes of colour appearing as well..."

"Really?" Sakura seemed delighted. "I suppose the sleeping-with-my-eyes-open-thing could be explained by what I'm doing – it's like sinking into a trance, going that deep into my connection with plants – but I'll have to ask Mum about the colour-flashes...what kind of colours?"

"Nothing too unnatural," Kakashi explained as Sakura pulled herself to her feet. "Blue, grey, brown...I think there was some yellow there..."

"Really?" she repeated. "Sounds neat..."

Her stomach chose that moment to gurgle insistently and interrupt her.

"Oh, shut up," she muttered at it. "Anyone would think I hadn't put food in you for a week with that noise."

"Ramen at Ichiraku?" Kakashi offered.

"Funny how that's always the first place we think of when we eat out," Sakura grinned. "I think Naruto's been a bad influence on us."

"If there's one thing Naruto does well, it's being an influence," Kakashi pointed out. "Whatever the kind."

The medic nodded. "That's true. And sure, I'd love to go – lead the way."

They left the forest together. And when Sakura's head cocked at the rustle of leaves, and her eyes flickered towards the slight shimmer of sunlight on a leaf's waxy surface, Kakashi didn't feel any trace of puzzlement or confusion. Not now. Not after he had been given a glimpse into her world.

-xxx-

"So you're sure the seal's still holding something back?" Tsunade murmured, almost to herself, as she examined the dark green symbol imprinted on her apprentice's back.

"I'm sure," Sakura nodded – an awkward motion when she was craning her head over her shoulder to follow the sannin's progress.

Tsunade noticed her contortionist-like position. "The seal's in rather an awkward place, isn't it?"

"I think Mum wanted something she could reach easily – so I wouldn't have to be uncomfortable during those hours she had to take to seal me – but something that could still be easily concealed by clothes."

The Hokage nodded. It still seemed mind-boggling to her – that a Faerie could have lived in her village one month out of every year and she'd never known. That her apprentice could have been said Faerie's daughter, and no hint of suspicion had ever crossed her mind.

"I don't think I can do anything for you, Sakura," Tsunade said honestly, drawing away. "I have no experience in dealing with Faerie seals, and even from this cursory examination I can tell that I wouldn't have a prayer of diminishing or containing it, let alone erasing it. You should really ask your mother about it."

"I did," Sakura sighed in frustration. "But she says she can't do anything about it either."

"Why would...?"

"Essentially, it's because of who...well, what...I am," Sakura explained, tugging her shirt down to cover the seal once more. "Because I'm half-Faerie, I can bear having a Faerie seal – I can walk around with a lot of Otherwordly magic stamped on my back and running through my body without any of the side-effects a human would suffer. But because I'm half-human, over time the magic gradually mingled with my chakra. And since Faerie have no chakra, Mum can't untangle it and remove it. I was hoping you could do something like that..."

Tsuande sighed. "I'm sorry Sakura, but the Faerie magic the seal is composed of means I don't have any kind of power over it – your chakra and the magic of the seal are far too deeply entwined to untangle without causing you damage."

"So you can't remove it because of the Faerie magic, and Mum can't remove it because of my chakra," Sakura summarised, sounding disappointed. "A real catch twenty-two, huh?"

"It will go away eventually, though, won't it?" Tsunade asked.

Sakura nodded. "With the way I'm using my powers now, Mum says it will go away eventually...I was just hoping we could speed up the process somehow...hey, what if you and Mum tried to unwind the seal together?"

The sannin shook her head. "I don't think that would work either – your chakra and the seal's magic have become so deeply ingrained into each other that even if someone was trying to untangle the magic portion of it, I still wouldn't be able to do anything. And you're sure there's no one who can use both chakra and Faerie magic?"

"No. To use chakra, you have to be human. To use magic, you have to be a Faerie. And as far as everyone knows, I'm the only one to combine both."

Tsunade nodded vaguely. "Your mother did mention that you were the only half-Faerie in living memory."

"And since we're talking Faerie memory, that stretches over a few millennia," Sakura added. "I mean, centuries ago when Faerie-human interaction was much more common that it is now, having a human and a Faerie fall in love with each other wasn't uncommon...but apparently the pressures of family and society always proved too much for them – no children were ever born to those unions..."

"Why not?"

"Mixing chakra and Faerie magic was always considered unholy and monstrous," Sakura said bluntly. "People from both realms always believed the powers should remain separate, that the birth of a half-human, half-Faerie would mean disaster for both worlds." She snorted in disbelief. "Considering I'm a half-Faerie and I've been around for about twenty years without any sign of an impending apocalypse...I think it's probably a myth."

Tsunade chuckled at her light-hearted tone.

"But it was enough to mean that my birth was completely unprecedented," Sakura continued. "I mean, the Harunos didn't want Dad marrying Mum at all, let alone having a kid with her. The Faerie are generally big advocates of love – Mum told me they thought it was rather romantic at first...until she announced her intention to have me. And then the controversy started."

"Controversy?" Tsunade echoed. She couldn't help the burning curiosity that had lodged somewhere in her chest – like the other children of Konoha, she had been raised with tales of the Otherworld and the Faerie, and to meet someone who had actually been to the Otherworld, who had actually seen Faerie with her own eyes...

"Some of the Faerie honestly didn't care – they figured as long as she was in love and knew what she was doing, it didn't matter that I'd be half-Faerie and half-human. But a lot of them...weren't so understanding."

"Did you have any friends?" the Hokage found herself asking. "Among the Faerie, I mean."

Sakura nodded. "Salena Moonshadow. She was a young unicorn, and her mother and mine were close. There was also Jalind Riverwalker – a water nymph – but he was more of an acquaintance than an actual friend..."

Tsunade felt that burn of curiosity again. She'd always wondered why Faerie had those titles at the end of their names...

Sakura wasn't oblivious to the look in her mentor's eye – that half-puzzled, half-eager look that spoke so eloquently of a desire to learn.

"What do you want to know?"

The blonde sannin started. She hadn't realised she'd been so easy to read. "You don't mind telling me?"

"Whatever you want to know, just ask," Sakura offered. "I kept it a secret for almost all my life – you think I'm particularly keen to keep any more?"

Tsunade smiled. "I was just wondering about those titles at the end of their names. Your mother's is Treesinger, and your friends' are Moonshadow and Riverwalker...what do they mean?"

"In the Otherworld, everyone has two names. There's a name like the ones we have – just means of identification, when you get down to it. Their other names are symbolic ones, bestowed upon them a few days after they're born – or come into existence, in Jalind's case, since he's technically a river – and they're meant to represent their connection to the land and, in a way, they're meant to reflect who they are."

"And what did you mean about Faerie holding love in high regard?"

"Because their patron is Haevyn – I mean, Skwall's a god, too, but not many Faerie like worshiping a god of death and destruction – they tend to hold Haevyn's views as their own. Since she was the benevolent goddess, something similar to the land's mother, love and forgiveness and everything like that is what she stands for. In fact, the Faerie call love 'Haevyn's Blessing', and hatred is 'Skwall's Corruption'."

"Really? And I've been meaning to ask you about your powers..."

Sakura smiled, and sat back in a chair, preparing herself for a lengthly question and answer session.

-xxx-

Mikiko stilled, wrist-deep in suds as she scrubbed the dishes, head cocked to the side like a curious bird. It might have been nothing, but just for an instant, she could have sworn...

Could have sworn she felt something in the Otherworld...shift. A shiver in the very fabric of the world.

The feeling passed, fading and vanishing like a melting photograph, but the unease remained. The instinctive knowledge that something, somewhere, wasn't as it was supposed to be.

_'What happened?'_ Mikiko wondered, pulling the curtain back from the window to gaze inquisitively at the streets. _'What was that?'_

-xxx-

Sakura was humming to herself as she bought fresh fruit – having stopped off at the market after talking with Tsunade – examining some of the juicier-looking pears, when a sense of evil, of crushing, cruel power descended on her so suddenly she almost dropped the fruit.

But she was a Konoha kunoichi, so all that evidenced the black poison she could feel weighing the very air she breathed was the slight tightening of her muscles as she prepared for an attack.

But the attack never came. The feeling was gone almost as soon as it appeared. Sakura whipped around, her eyes darting over the marketplace, trying to determine what had just happened. But there was nothing strange, nothing out of the ordinary...she even saw two jonins walking down the street, and they didn't appear to have sensed anything.

So..what had happened? Why was she the only one who seemed to have sensed it?

Her breath coming slightly heavier in her throat – a result of the sudden influx of adrenaline – Sakura paid for her purchases and hurried home, looking over her shoulder with every step, unable to shake the chill that seemed to follow at her heels.

_'What happened?'_

-xxx-

_AN: In case this chapter's title was a little hard to understand, hybrid vigour refers to animal breeding, when you cross two individuals of different breeds, and the resulting offspring is better or healthier than either parent. And as usual, thanks to my brother for beta-ing._


	7. Gathering Thunder

**Chapter 7**

**Gathering Thunder**

Sakura attempted to smother her yawn as she twirled her chopsticks idly in her empty bowl. She hadn't been sleeping well lately – she'd been having nightmares. While none were as bad as the first one, they were still distressing enough to rouse her, often in the middle of the night, with her ears ringing with silent screams and dark ghosts flitting through her vision.

Mikiko had been getting them, too. Though she was trying to downplay her own worry, Sakura knew her mother was just as unsettled by these happenings as she was.

Fortunately, though, their fears seemed groundless. Konoha was peaceful, there was no unrest or trouble brewing silently in the far reaches of Fire Country (at least, none that they were aware of), and Mikiko had even gone back for the Otherworld for a few hours and confirmed that nothing was wrong.

But Sakura couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming. She didn't know what, she didn't know when, there was nothing concrete about it...but she just felt that _something_ was coming.

"...what about you, Sakura?"

"Huh?" she managed, blinking at Naruto, who – she was pretty sure – had just asked her a question.

Sakura was eating lunch at Ichiraku, with Naruto, Hinata and Sasuke. Which, to a certain extent, explained her lack of concentration – Naruto and Hinata had been very wrapped up in each other, and Sasuke was being his usual quiet, moody self. She found herself wondering how Naruto had persuaded the Uchiha to attend a lunch that was going to be comprised only of a lovesick couple and herself.

"I was asking if you remembered that time when Kakashi asked us about our dreams, Sakura," Naruto said, frowning. "Are you okay? You've been kind of spacey lately..."

"I'm fine," she said. "I've just haven't been sleeping well..."

"Is it anything serious?" Hinata asked in concern.

Time – and having to deal with the stoic ice cubes that passed for the Hyuuga's clan council – had served to almost entirely rid Hinata of her stutter, though it tended to come back in times of stress or worry.

"I don't think so," Sakura shook her head. "Just some nightmares – Mum says there's just something strange in the Otherworld and I'm picking up on it."

"Should we be worried?" Naruto asked, slurping his noodles down so fast Sakura wondered how he didn't choke.

"Probably not. Mum says there's nothing wrong, but..."

"But?" Hinata prompted gently.

"I can't shake the feeling something's not right," Sakura admitted. "Like there's something out there...waiting..."

She realised her friends were staring at her warily, and shook her head as though to dislodge her thoughts, trying to shrug away her worries like she would discard a heavy cloak. "But it's probably just my paranoia talking."

"If you say so..." Naruto muttered, seemingly unconvinced.

"So, what were you saying?"

"Oh, that," Naruto brightened. "I was asking you if you remembered when Kakashi asked us about our dreams."

"I remember," Sakura nodded, then chuckled softly, remembering how shallow and naïve she'd been back then. "I think mine's changed a bit."

Sasuke frowned, and tried not to think about why that comment stung a little.

"Oh? What's your dream now?" Hinata asked.

"To be happy," Sakura said simply. "To live a happy life, have a happy marriage, have lots of happy, well-adjusted children...to be happy."

Naruto blinked. "That sounds pretty simple."

Sakura shrugged. "Yeah, but my Mum once told me that it's usually the simplest dreams that are the hardest to make come true. And there's probably some truth to that – I mean, look at Mum and Dad. All they wanted was to be allowed to love each other and raise me, and look at how much grief they've had to go through to do that."

"I guess so..." the blonde mused.

"What about you, Naruto?" Sakura teased. "Has yours changed?"

"No way – I'm going to be the Hokage!" Naruto nearly shouted, verbally re-affirming his dream.

Sasuke winced at his volume and sent him a withering glare. Hinata gave him a fond smile, and Sakura couldn't help grinning herself – she could always count on Naruto's enthusiasm to make the world seem a little brighter.

-xxx-

"Nice eating with you guys, but Hinata and me are going somewhere now!" Naruto eventually chimed, dropping a few notes on the counter and dashing away, the Hyuuga in tow.

Sakura giggled, waving them off cheerfully. She had spent enough time around the couple to know that 'going somewhere' usually meant they were off to find a nice, quiet corner of Konoha to do things best left private.

"Does he ever think of anything else but that girl?" Sasuke grumbled.

"Naruto's life used to consist of ramen and training, now it consists of ramen, training and Hinata," Sakura said honestly. "I think it's sweet, really. They're both good people, they both deserve someone to love them...and they're both utterly devoted to each other."

Her eyes softened. "I think we all hope for something like that, deep down."

Sasuke made a non-committal noise, and he seemed to be thinking hard about something. Sakura let him, a little puzzled that he was still sitting with her – she'd have expected him to take off as soon as Naruto and Hinata left. Sasuke was a nice guy, deep down (really,_really_ deep down, a sardonic voice in her reminded her), but he tended to avoid one-on-one time with her. Sakura had no idea what made him do so – he certainly never seemed to have a problem with Naruto or Kakashi.

_'Maybe he's afraid I'll ask him out,'_ she thought, and fought to suppress a grin. Long years and emotionally-painful encounters had taught Sakura to develop a fatalistic sort of humour about her enduring feeling for Sasuke – she'd have turned into a black hole of depression if she hadn't.

"Do you really want...something like that?" Sasuke asked eventually, yanking her out of her thoughts. "Someone...like Naruto?"

"You as far as personality goes?" Sakura questioned, a little confused. "I didn't mean it like that – I was talking about the relationship itself."

Sasuke frowned, still staring determinedly forwards. "You mean...the way he acts?"

Sakura shrugged. "Not even that, really. I mean, as long I loved him and I knew he loved me, I don't think I'd care how he expressed it. Whether he was really loud and demonstrative like Naruto or really quiet and private. It sounds really corny, but as long as we loved each other...I like to think that's all I'd need."

By now, the direction this conversation was taking was making her very uncomfortable (though it wasn't strictly the topic of discussion – more like the person she was having the discussion with). "But it's not exactly likely to happen...not for a while, at least."

"Why?"

Sakura knew she was staring openly at him, but Sasuke didn't seem to notice – he hadn't glanced at her once since they began this odd conversation.

"Well..." she began slowly, still a little wary. "First, I have to find someone to have said relationship with. And it's difficult to be in a relationship with a civilian – they just don't really understand what being a ninja demands of you, and can't seem to relate to what you go through every day. So that just leaves the male ninja of Konoha, which is already shrinking my 'potential relationship pool' by quite a bit."

She waited for some indication of boredom or dismissiveness from Sasuke, but to her surprise, none came.

"Naruto's out for obvious reasons. Shikamaru, too. I'm not attracted to Chouji or Kiba, and while Shino might have mystery going for him I don't really feel anything for him, either. I'm pretty sure Neji has a thing for Tenten, and as for Lee..."

She trailed off, sighing sadly. "I just can't see him as anything more than a friend. Sometimes I wish I could, but-"

"Why?" Sasuke cut in, his voice harsh, as though she'd just said something that had angered him.

Sakura tried not to be put off – he'd initiated the conversation in the first place, why was he getting so pissy now? – and elaborated, "Because he'd be good to me. I mean, over-enthusiasm and spandex fetish aside, he's a good man. He wouldn't cheat on me, or treat me like dirt, or hit me-"

She cut herself off with a snort. "Scratch that – I'm a kunoichi, no one's going to hit me – but the point is, he's going to make someone really happy someday. But it's probably not going to be me – I just can't see him as anything other than a friend, you know? So the only way I'm going to be happy in that respect is if I fall for someone outside my age bracket, or some handsome shinobi from another village sweeps me off my feet."

The half-Faerie sighed. "But who cares? I'm happy anyway – I'm great at my job, I have fabulous friends...what more could I ask for?"

Sasuke grunted, trying to resist the urge to point out that she hadn't included him in her analysis of the male population.

"Are you happy, Sasuke?" Sakura found herself asking.

He threw an unreadable glance and began to rise, but Sakura snagged his sleeve with one arm, stopping him in his tracks.

"Oh, no, you don't," she said, shaking her head. "You got a peek inside my head, I get a chance to get inside yours – it's only fair. Now sit back down before I'm forced to put my strength into it and trample your macho, he-man pride when you're shoved around by a girl."

"You don't know that you could shove me around," Sasuke muttered, and barely kept himself from wincing – even to his own ears, he sounded like a contrary toddler.

Judging by the amused light in Sakura's eyes, she hadn't missed the resemblance, either. "Let's be honest with each other, Sasuke. The outcome of a full-fledged shinobi battle would certainly be up for debate, but we both know who's the physically stronger of the two of us."

Sakura had a moment to reflect that there was a certain satisfaction in that – she was now capable of beating the man who had broken her heart in an arm-wrestling contest. She wasn't sure exactly what kind of satisfaction it was, but it was there.

"So, I repeat – are you happy?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think so."

Sakura fought the urge to sigh. She'd asked him, yes...but she'd forgotten how depressive Sasuke could be at times.

"You're not happy now?"

He seemed to think on it for a moment, and for some reason, he shot a furtive glance at her. "Not entirely."

She gave a slightly bitter smile. "Fulfilling one of your dreams not as satisfying as you expected?"

Sasuke huffed – a small, self-depreciating breath of air. He still remembered what Sakura had told him the night he left Konoha, and couldn't help but wonder how she had known. Kakashi, he could understand – he'd had a similar experience – but Sakura? That had been his first coherent thought as he stood over his brother's dead body – how could have known what would happen? How could she have foreseen, all those years ago, what his vengeance would eventually lead him to?

Looking back, it seemed eerie how prophetic her words had been. Revenge certainly hadn't made him happy – it hadn't even brought the closure he had sought. And as for Sakura...

He stole a glance at her out of the corner of his eye – a practice which was becoming disturbingly frequent lately – watching her lift her nearly-empty glass to her lips, noting how her pale throat flexed as she swallowed the last of the water.

As for Sakura...what he did or felt didn't seem to have that great an effect on her happiness anymore. Sure, she was a devoted friend, concerned about his welfare and wishing him his own happiness...but all his years of absence seemed to have been enough time for Sakura to stop loving him.

"Well, maybe fulfilling your other goal will cheer you up a little," Sakura commented, trying to sound normal even though the words stung.

Sasuke blinked, asking without words for clarification.

"You know – the whole reviving the clan thing? Making little Uchiha babies?" she clarified. "That ought to cheer you up." She forced a laugh through her throat. "Nothing more cheerful than a man who's getting some on a regular basis."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, and he found himself wondering how she knew this. A trickle of envy oozed up his spine. "What do you base this on?"

"Naruto," Sakura said succinctly. "And I know he's getting some – I walked in on him and Hinata once and couldn't look either of them in the eye for days afterwards. Talk about traumatic..."

"The idiot's always cheerful," Sasuke pointed out.

"Yeah, but not _that_ cheerful. You can always tell exactly what he did with Hinata last night by the magnitude of his grin the next morning."

Sasuke thought about that for a moment, then decided he would make a concerted effort not to think about it ever again. "Hn."

"So, back on topic, do _you_ think that making lots of Sharingan-wielding kids with whatever woman you marry will make you happy?"

For a moment, just a split-second, Sasuke had a vision of dark-haired children with bright green eyes running around the Uchiha estates.

"I...don't know."

"Considering anyone?" Sakura asked, making a valiant effort to continue the conversation, even if the subject matter was painful.

Sasuke turned to look her straight in the eye, and there was something in his face she couldn't read. A look, an expression, that she just couldn't remember ever having seen on his face before. He opened his mouth, seemed about to speak...

And abruptly stood, threw some money down on the counter to pay for his share, and left.

Sakura let him go this time, a little puzzled as to what she'd said wrong. _'What's bitten him?'_

-xxx-

"Take care of yourself, Sakura," Mikiko told her, sniffling a little as she embraced her daughter.

"You too, Mum," Sakura said. "But hey, maybe now I'll be able to visit at the equinoxes and solstices like I used to."

Mikiko nodded once, then embraced Sotaro, her eyes flashing with pain before they slid shut, as though she were trying to burn the moment into her mind with sheer force of will. They remained like that for long moments, before Mikiko gently, sadly, disengaged and stepped backwards, into the Sacred Sakura. Her form flickered, wavered, and then seemed to melt away.

Mikiko had left the human realm and returned to the Otherworld.

Sakura was well-used to this, but no matter how often she watched her mother fade away from their world, the impact never seemed to lessen. She wouldn't see her mother for another eleven months – not until the sakura began to bloom again.

At least now, she might be able to visit again. But her Dad...

Sakura glanced at Sotaro, who was still staring sadly at the Sacred Sakura, his shoulders slumped and his eyes grieving.

Sometimes, she couldn't help but feel sorry for her parents. They loved each other so much...and one month every year was all the time they had to be together – their worlds and lives didn't allow anything else.

Sakura sighed. _'Sometimes, loving someone sucks,'_ she thought. _'Oh, wait, I already know that.'_

Sometimes, she wondered what it would be like to be like her parents – to have someone you were so in love with and who was so in love with you in turn that it didn't matter that you only got to see them for four weeks out of fifty-two.

Then, deciding she had let her father brood for long enough, Sakura slipped her hand through his, offered him a bright smile, and led him back to their house. After all, Sotaro needed at least half a night of decent rest before he set out on another mission tomorrow. Given a ninja's work schedule, it was difficult to ask for a whole month off every year, and while the officials had been understanding of his situation when Sakura was a child, Sotaro now had to compensate with a very heavy mission roster for the other eleven months. This day marked her mother's departure for the year, tomorrow heralded her father's departure for almost five months.

_'When you actually get down to it, our family spends very little time together,'_ she mused. _'Still, they do say that absence makes the heart grow fonder...'_

-xxx-

"Come on...please?" Ino wheedled.

"No," Shikamaru said, without opening his eyes. "Go find someone else."

"But we're the best people to do it," she insisted. "Sakura said so!"

Shikamaru resisted the urge to heave a very dramatic sigh. Ino had disturbed him from a relaxing nap in his favourite cloud-watching field to inform him that Sakura was trying out a new kind of Faerie magic, for which she needed two willing participants.

Which was all well and good – he just couldn't figure out why she needed them, specifically.

"Why us?"

"Like I'd know," Ino scoffed. "All I know is that Sakura said we'd be the best ones for it – something about mental-based jutsus...come on, aren't you even the slightest bit curious about Faerie magic?"

Sakura had given Ino permission to inform her teammates as well, which the blonde had done in record time.

"Sounds troublesome." But Shikamaru opened one eye to peer up at the blonde leaning over him.

And swiftly realised his mistake. The way Ino was leaning over him, and the angle of his head, was currently providing him with an...interesting...view. Nothing particularly vulgar, but something his conscience told him he probably shouldn't be seeing without her consent.

Shikamaru clamped the eye shut again, gritting his teeth and trying to drag his mind away from the expanse of pale, perfect thigh he had just glimpsed. He hoped Ino hadn't noticed his blatant stare – even if he wasn't trying to peep, he was sure she wouldn't hesitate to pound him into the ground if she thought he'd seen anything...

"Come on, Shikamaru...please?"

He was probably safe – she didn't even seem aware of the way she'd affected him. "I'm taking a nap."

"Pretty please?"

Shikamaru refused to open his eyes again – he wasn't going to risk it. Tantalising views aside, he was sure she was using the puppy-dog eyes and he always found himself caving every time she did, to his great and lasting irritation.

_'Troublesome.'_

"Shikamaru..."

"If you don't stop whining, I might tie you to a tree."

Ino smirked – the opening was too good to pass up. And in her most flirtatious tone, she asked, "Promise?"

Shikamaru's eyes shot open, staring at the woman standing above him, trying desperately not to let his already wandering imagination start down the path her words invited. Taking advantage of his semi-dazed state, Ino seized his wrist and pulled him to his feet. The strategist offered no resistance, his mind occupied with trying to resist a sudden influx of mental images.

"I knew you'd come!" she enthused. "And don't worry – I promise I'll make it worth your while..."

Shikamaru's jaw tightened. _'Get. Mind. Out. Of. Gutter.'_

-xxx-

"Here we are – I told you I'd bring him!" Ino chirped, sitting down at Sakura's side and urging Shikamaru to do the same.

Sakura was sitting cross-legged on the grass, her headband and sandals resting beside her, looking as though she were sitting down for afternoon tea rather than attempting otherworldly magic.

Shikamaru found himself staring at the short pink locks that blew freely in the light wind. Before, he'd simply dismissed her hair colour as either dye or some sort of genetic mutation, but now that he knew it was actually indelible proof of her Faerie heritage...he found himself a little intrigued.

Just a little, though – it would be far too much effort to actually display an active interest.

"Okay, I just need you to take my hands, then take each other's hands, okay?" Sakura directed. "And thanks heaps for helping me with this, by the way."

"What exactly are you going to do?" Ino asked as she and Shikamaru obeyed. "And tell me again why you needed me and Shikamaru?"

"Before she left, Mum told me that some Faerie can displace souls," Sakura explained. "Sakura nymphs usually can't do this, but she mentioned it to me because my powers have been so different to hers, so it's possible I might be able to do it. And I asked you guys to do it because your signature jutsus already involve a displacement of mental energy – it shouldn't be that much effort to coax the rest of the soul along with it, especially for you, Ino."

"Displacing souls?" Ino squeaked. "Isn't that...dangerous?"

"Not as much as you'd think. Faerie bodies are very malleable – almost all Faerie have two forms – and so their soul isn't anchored very firmly to their body. It can't be, because the more firmly your soul is entrenched in one shape, the harder it is to change that shape. But humans are a different story – human souls are very tightly bound to their physical form, and it's that bond I will be trying to stretch. So if something does go wrong while I'm trying this, your souls will simply snap back to your own bodies as if nothing had happened."

"Okay..." Ino said slowly. "I guess that's alright."

"Shikamaru?" Sakura asked.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath – Sakura would have been prepared to bet her entire savings that it was 'troublesome' – but he didn't move away, so she assumed he gave his consent.

So Sakura closed her eyes and concentrated. She felt Ino and Shikamaru's souls shimmering in their body like watery satin, bound tightly to their bodies. Gently, cautiously, she applied her power, and tugged on them. Not hard – she didn't want to snap the connection, merely to stretch it a little. But it seemed no matter how hard she tried, they stayed firmly anchored to their bodies.

Sakura bit her lip, forcing more layers of Faerie magic into the binding, struggling with the souls in a metaphysical tug-of-war. She drew more and more power, trying to apply as much strength as she thought prudent – she didn't want to put too much power into it in case she hurt her friends somehow. Seconds ticked by slowly, and the souls showed absolutely no signs of moving.

Sakura relaxed, admitting defeat. She didn't want to put anymore force into it – she was afraid of causing some kind of damage if she did.

"Forget it guys," she sighed, releasing their hands. "It didn't work. Sorry for dragging you out here for nothing."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, but looked grateful that he could go back to his nap. Ino, on the other hand, seemed rather disappointed.

"Why didn't it work?" she asked.

Sakura shrugged. "Your souls were too firmly anchored, and I wasn't about to put all my power into it – I was too worried about damaging you."

"We're ninja!" Ino objected. "There's not a lot you can do that'll damage us!"

"Yes, if we're talking about physical bodies," Sakura elaborated. "But we're talking about souls. And if I damaged that...I might erase a chunk of your personality by mistake."

"Oh." Ino blinked, looking properly convinced. "Well..."

"Now that this has turned out to be a waste of good napping time..." Shikamaru drawled. "I'm wondering exactly how you're planning to make this 'worth my while'..."

Ino frowned, trying to think about what she could do for him. She'd simply assumed whatever Sakura was going to do would be entertaining, and now that it had turned out be nothing...what would a lazy genius want her to do?

The blonde seemed to be thinking hard, unconsciously running her finger over her bottom lip. "Well...what do you want?"

Shikamaru knocked aside the first response that flew into his mind. And the second. And the third. His mind worked frantically, eventually coming up with, "Clean my room."

Ino looked appalled. "_What?_"

Sakura smirked. She hadn't missed the way Shikamaru's pupils had dilated at Ino's question, nor the way his eyes seemed riveted to the finger tracing her mouth. For her part, the Yamanaka seemed completely unaware of Shikamaru's fascination, apparently frozen in sheer indignation.

"I said, you can clean my room," Shikamaru repeated. "And we'll call it even."

"But it's _your_ room!" Ino wailed. "It probably hasn't been cleaned in years! They are probably dust bunnies the size of elephants in there! Sakura, help me!"

But the half-Faerie was unmoved. "Did you really promise Shikamaru this would be worth his while?"

"Well, yes, but I thought you were going to-"

"I never said it was going to be interesting, Ino. You've made your bed, now you have to lie in it. Or rather," Sakura allowed herself a small smirk. "You've made your bed, and now you have to make Shikamaru's bed."

"Traitor!" Ino shrieked, but reluctantly picked herself up from the ground. "Come on, Shikamaru, I'd better get started now to have any chance of finishing it by the end of the month..."

Sakura watched them go, and allowed herself a small, secretive smile. Things were not as hopeless as Ino thought – if nothing else, Shikamaru was definitely attracted to her.

-xxx-

"Where is she?" Tsunade muttered, looking at the clock. "You'd think I asked Kakashi to come."

"Maybe Ino just lost track of time?" Sakura hazarded.

Tenten didn't say anything – while waiting for the blonde to arrive, she had taken to balancing her kunai on her fingertips.

Sakura, Tenten, and Ino had been called to the Hokage's office for a mission briefing. Except Ino had yet to show up.

"It's been fifteen minutes," Tenten noted, now idly juggling her kunai as she leaned back in her chair. "Should we start getting worried?"

_'I wish I could do that,'_ Sakura thought with a touch of envy, glancing at the woman who was tossing razor sharp weapons around with such ease she looked about to doze off.

"I'll go find her," Sakura volunteered. "I have a fairly good idea of where she is anyway..."

When Ino was late for something – be it mission or shopping spree – it usually meant that she'd happened upon Shikamaru cloud-watching, he'd persuaded her to join him, and she'd dozed off. At times Sakura wondered just how the Nara could manage to persuade such an energetic person to relax and eventually doze off in a field, but simply chalked it up to Ino being in love with him – love made people do strange things.

Sakura approached the cloud-watching field as silently as she could, hoping to sneak up on Ino and surprise her, opting to leap through the trees rather than travel along the ground.

Sure enough, she found Ino in the field, sprawled on her back and sleeping peacefully. But Sakura didn't jump to the ground and announce her presence immediately – she was more interested in what Shikamaru was doing.

The dark-haired man had propped himself up on one elbow, and was staring at the woman beside him with an unusually tender look in his eye. As Sakura watched, he brushed a stray lock of hair from Ino's face, tucking it gently behind her ear, his fingers ghosting along her cheek and the line of her jaw as he withdrew. Ino made a sleepy sound, instinctively moving towards the caress, and Sakura was surprised to note that Shikamaru was smiling. Not one of his smug or amused smiles either – a small, satisfied, truly content smile.

Sakura suddenly wished she could turn around, walk away, and not go anyway near the field for the rest of the day. But she couldn't – there was a mission to be completed, after all – so she did the next best thing. The half-Faerie turned around, back-tracked several metres, then jumped to the ground and advanced along the forest floor, making no effort to conceal herself, allowing Shikamaru to detect her presence and compose himself accordingly. For some reason, it didn't feel right to just walk in on such a tender moment – it seemed an invasion of privacy somehow.

Still, Sakura had trouble wiping the grin off her face as she approached the field for the second time. _'I told Ino it was going to work out! Looks like the poor guy's in deep...'_

-xxx-

In the end, Ino was given a minor tongue-lashing for being late for a briefing, even though the mission itself was hardly top priority – the three kunoichis were being sent to investigate some reports of suspicious activity and what sounded like a very brief ninja battle (no one had got close enough to actually see what was going on) in a small forest a few hours north of Konoha.

"And you're sending the three of us on this?" Tenten's voice had been respectful, but had conveyed her disbelief quite eloquently.

"It's been a slow month," Tsunade had retorted. "I have to make sure you're earning your paycheck somehow."

And now they were running swiftly through Fire Country, at the rapid ninja lope that ate up the long miles like fire. Just in case they ran into trouble on the way – Sakura was long since learned that even the most mundane missions could turn deadly astonishingly quickly – Sakura had told Tenten about being half-Faerie, explaining that if they ran into trouble, Tenten should give the medic a chance to entangle them with plants before she launched into battle.

Tenten's reaction had been similar to Ino's – confusion and amazement.

"Wow..." Tenten shook her head in bewilderment. "I never would have guessed...I just thought the pink hair was some kind of dye or something..."

"Nope, one hundred percent natural," Sakura said, smiling ruefully.

"And we never noticed anything strange about you during our genin days because you were sealed?" the weapons mistress continued.

"That's pretty much it," Sakura nodded. "But when I started my training with Tsunade, my extensive use of chakra interfered with the seal, which was already beginning to weaken...and that was when it started to break down..."

Sakura's voice died. Her whole body went stiff. A...feeling...like the one that had struck her in the marketplace all those weeks ago, had just descended on her again. A sickening, horrifying knowledge that something far more terrifying then she could ever imagine was close by...

Close by...and closing. There was a small grove ahead, and she could sense distress from it. The trees, the bushes, the grass...they all knew something wasn't right. In the same way she'd sensed Kakashi's approach while meditating, she could sense that in that grove, there was something malevolent.

"Something's here," she breathed, feeling a cold sweat beginning to dampen to brow. "Just ahead of us...through those trees..."

"What?" Tenten hissed, drawing a long blade from its sheath on her back. "How do you know?"

"I just know, alright?"

Silence descended on the trio, every member reaching for their weapons and assuming a battle-ready stance. Sakura listened to the trees and grass, her ears straining to pick up the slightest hint of discord, of ropes and wires, of holes and stakes or anything that might signal a trap.

"No booby traps," she whispered at last. "But be careful – there's a...a _wrongness_...about this. But I can't pick out any one being...it's almost like the whole place is...wrong..."

Sakura shook her head, unable to express what she felt. "Just be careful."

Tenten and Ino nodded once, and then they began to move forward once more, ready for whatever was awaiting them on the other side of those trees.

-xxx-

It was a slaughterhouse. At least, that was what it would have looked like if there had been any blood. But there was no blood, no viscera, no indication of illness or marks of destruction...the people were just...dead.

And each wore a black cloak decorated with red clouds.

"Akatsuki..." Ino gasped. "But how could...?"

"They're completely unmarked," Sakura breathed. "No wounds, no injuries...even poison would leave some kind of trace – contorted limbs or foam at the mouth or discoloured eyes or lips..."

Words failed her. What could kill people without ever leaving a mark? What could wipe out dozens of Akatsuki without so much as disturbing a single twig on the trees around them?

"Anyone else a little creeped out?" Tenten asked, nudging one of the bodies with her toe.

"More than a little," Ino said honestly. "I mean, I've seen my share of weird and bizarre stuff, but this..."

Sakura opened her mouth to point out that this was probably the suspicious activity they had been sent to investigate, and ask if they thought there would be any point in making inquiries at the nearby villages...but her voice died in her throat. The prickling unease she had been feeling suddenly exploded into something dangerously close to panic. Her nerves were jangling like wind chimes in a hurricane, her hands were shaking and her throat was dry...

But what was worse, was that nothing in the clearing seemed to have changed. She was more terrified in this one moment that she'd ever been before in her entire life...and she didn't even have a concrete cause to pin it on. It was just an unfounded, unreasoning fear, clawing wildly in the back of her mind, a voice in her head that screamed and screamed and screamed...

And suddenly, as abruptly as a crack of lightning, Sakura realised they were not alone in the clearing. Somehow, in the space of a split second, they had been ringed by creatures out of a nightmare.

Their forms could be considered human, but there was no distinguishing features like hair or skin colour or even clothes. They were just smoky black forms – two legs, two arms, a head, and opaque grey eyes like flat river pebbles.

Sakura was not the only one to notice their sudden appearance.

"Identify yourself!" Tenten barked, sliding into a battle-ready stance.

The creatures blinked as one – an action that left Sakura feeling more than a little unnerved – but did not respond. Strangely, now that she finally had something to pin it on, her panic had eased somewhat. Being afraid of something you could see and react to wasn't nearly as paralysing as being afraid because of a feeling – something you couldn't see, hear, touch or fight.

Tenten's eyes darted from figure to figure, watching for the slightest hint of movement, the smallest indication that they were about to be attacked...

"They're not human," Sakura said bluntly, her eyes never leaving the grim, silent circle around them.

"What?" Ino hissed. "How do you know?"

"I just do, alright?" Sakura replied, mimicking the brief exchange she'd had with Tenten several minutes ago.

And she did know. It wasn't just their appearance – it went deeper than that. In the same way Sakura could sense the chakra of human beings, she could sense that these creatures were definitely not human.

"Can't you feel it?" she added. "When you try to sense their chakra...they don't have it, and you can feel...something else. I'm not sure what they are, but they're definitely not human."

Some part of her noted they felt a little like her mother did. But...darker...bleaker...

But Sakura was given no more time to ponder on what they might be. As though some sort of silent, invisible signal had passed between them, the creatures began to move forward as one.

Tenten launched a kunai at the head of one, but it never connected. The creature's form wavered and changed from a solid, dark body into a curl of smoke, letting the weapon fly harmlessly through, before the body solidified once more.

"Gods..." Tenten knew she was gaping, but couldn't help it. What the hell were these things? She'd never seen anything like them before...

Sakura seized a handful of shuriken and flung them at the attacking figures, not really surprised when they shifted to insubstantial mist and let the weapons ghost through them. Still, at least now she and the others knew it was something they could all do, not just an attribute unique to one or two of them.

Then she, Ino and Tenten collided with the smoky wall of monsters, and Sakura was lost in a whirlwind of shining blades and sickening screams. The creatures' bodies were unnaturally malleable – they were able to transform their limbs into blades, and with their ability to become insubstantial at a moments notice the battle looked to be a difficult one.

Sakura found herself getting increasingly frustrated – her strength and weapons were useless against something without a physical body. Her only chance seemed to be to move fast enough to connect with them before they could become insubstantial, but it seemed an impossibility. Sakura suddenly wished Lee had been sent on the mission with them – surely he would have been able to move fast enough to catch the creatures off-guard.

Ino created a few dopplegangers in an effort to even out their numbers, but she didn't dare use her Mind Transfer technique. Not only because in the heat of battle it would be hard to hit her target, but also because of what Sakura had said; that these things, whatever they were, didn't have chakra. The Mind Transfer was based upon the transfer of the mind and spirit via an exchange of chakra, so Ino wasn't sure what would happen if she jumped into a body without chakra. Would her spirit be unable to anchor itself in the creature's body? Or, even worse, would she be stuck, unable to return to her original body?

In short, Ino decided she'd stick to her other jutsus.

Tenten sent a bombardment of kunai sailing through the air. She knew that the beings they were facing would simply let the weapons pass harmlessly through them, but the brunette had attached chakra strings to her weapons this time – hopefully, they wouldn't be expecting the weapons to attack again from behind once they had already been flung past them, and the kunai would catch them unawares...

Her train of thought was abruptly derailed when one of the creatures shrieked, flinching away from the nearly invisible chakra string it had brushed against.

Eyes narrowing, suspicion gathering in the back of her mind, Tenten flicked her wrist, sending her chakra strings spinning through the air. And sure enough, when the strings contacted the wraiths, they screeched like trapped ravens and scrambled away.

"Chakra hurts them!" Tenten screamed, not daring to glance at her companions in case she was stabbed while her back was turned. "Imbue your weapons with chakra!"

Sakura obeyed Tenten's instructions, intrigued when she saw that chakra-imbued weapons did indeed hurt them – even if they became insubstantial, they still shrieked when the weapon passed through them. There were no visible physical wounds or damage, but the screams told her the creatures were being hurt somehow.

Sakura plunged a kunai – glowing with chakra – through one of the smoky bodies around her, feeling a burst of satisfaction when the being drew back with a scraping howl of pain. But she knew they couldn't keep this up. With every strike, every blade that passed through a dark, smoky body, Sakura could feel a little of her chakra draining away. It was as though the creatures attacking them were a black hole in the fabric of the world, sucking in any energy that came into contact with them.

It wasn't much of a problem for her – Sakura was continually drawing energy from the surrounding plants to replace what she was losing – but she knew it would soon be a problem for Ino and Tenten. Ino had already banished her doppelgangers because they proving too much of a drain on her chakra reserves.

Sakura was distracted by burst of pain from her side – one of the creatures had managed to rake a blade across her flesh. Blood sprayed into the air, thick grass and wildflowers springing up wherever it touched the ground. She healed it without so much as pause, the bleeding slowing and the skin closing even as she twisted out of the way of another blade that hummed dangerously close to her throat.

One ghostly figure twined itself around Ino's body and began to constrict like a giant snake. The blonde managed to contort her wrist until her chakra-charged blade sank into the creature's side, but even though it shrieked in pain it only tightened its grip, forcing the breath from her lungs. Ino choked, gasping desperately for air as she felt her ribs begin to buckle beneath the horrible, crushing compression, desperately twisting her blade in its side and slamming her feet into any part of the creature she could reach.

Feeling her ribs beginning to snap and crack, Ino buried her kunai to the hilt in the dark body that twisted around her chest, and began to use it as a lever. In her position, there was little she could do to throw it off her...but she could loosen its grip. She was forced to duck as another creature's blade whistled over her head, but she didn't stop prying one of the coils loose. The clean air entering her lungs once more renewed her strength – even if her cracked ribs sent sharp spikes of pain knifing through her – and she applied more force to the kunai.

Noticing her struggle, Tenten flipped gracefully over a ring of the creatures' heads, landing as neatly as a cat beside the blonde. With swift, economical movements, she buried her blades to the hilt in the body of the being constricting Ino, heaving upwards and away, wrenching it loose.

It became insubstantial in midair, just as Tenten was sending it over her head – intending to throw it into several of its comrades – and remained etheral just long enough to ghost through her weapons, before turning solid once again, as though intending to crush her as it plummeted to the earth. With barely a split second to react, Tenten dropped to the ground and brought her feet up, ready to let its stomach meet her sturdy boots, when the creature become insubstantial again.

But the dark, gaseous substance it transformed into kept falling, settling around her mouth as Tenten inhaled...

And the the wraith-like substance was sucked into Tenten's lungs.

Sakura heard the high, choking noises behind her and spun around, to see Tenten clawing at her throat, her mouth working frantically, seemingly unable to draw breath.

"She inhaled one of them!" Ino screamed, ignoring her aching ribs and struggling to cover her teammates as Sakura bent down to the weapon mistress.

_'Gods...'_ was the first frantic thought that came to Sakura's mind. _'If it solidifies itself now...'_

But apparently the creature was also thinking along the same lines. As Sakura watched, Tenten's eyed widened, her body seemed to convulse once...

And her chest exploded.

There was simply no other word for it. Ribs thrust themselves through skin and clothes in sprays of blood, and the skin bulged horrifically before sagging inwards like the sides of a waterskin that had just been drained dry. Blood burst from Tenten's nose and mouth and streamed across Sakura's outstretched hands like steaming syrup. Something that looked like a jet black snake slithered slowly out of the brunette's mouth as she pitched forwards, her eyes glazing over.

Sakura paid no mind to the creature that slipped from Tenten's mouth – its work apparently done – and instead concentrated on trying to repair some of the damage. She placed her hand on Tenten's ruined chest, ignoring the nauseating crunchiness and unnatural give, desperately scrambling to draw energy from the plants around her so she could somehow keep Tenten alive even though her lungs had undoubtedly been torn to shreds...

"Sakura!" Ino yelled, sensing that something was moving behind her but knowing she wouldn't be able to react in time. She was currently embroiled with five creatures at once, with six more functioning as some sort of tag-team. "Behind you!"

Sakura turned to see the ghost-like figure bearing down on her, blade-arm raised to slit her throat. She raised an arm against it, desperately trying to somehow draw energy from the plants around her, heal Tenten, and channel chakra into her arm to knock the being away all at once...

All Ino saw was Sakura raising her arm, and then a bright burst of energy, like Neji's Rotation technique – except this was seemingly made of green chakra and something _else_, something that tasted of forests and rivers in her senses – rippled out from her body, engulfing the clearing. The creatures surrounding them screamed as though mortally wounded and drew away, hissing and writhing as though they had been burned with acid.

And beneath Sakura's hand, Tenten's ribs slipped smoothly back into her flesh, the bleeding ceased, the skin healed, and her chest expanded once more. Ino clearly saw the brunette's chest rise and fall as she took a weak, faltering breath.

Ino knew she was gaping, but she couldn't help it. Sakura had just badly damaged the creatures they had before been hard-pressed to fight, and healed in the space of a moment what should have been a fatal wound.

Sakura was just as shocked as Ino, if not more so. She had a brief moment in which her mind asked wildly how she'd done that...

And then the trees around them _screamed_.

Sakura choked, bending double and clamping her hands over her ears, but even that was unable to block out the horrible wailing that was coming close to deafening her. It was as though every plant within a ten mile radius was shrieking in terror and agony – as though they were being tortured by invisible enemies.

Sakura was just starting to wonder how long her eardrums could stand the strain when she suddenly understood why the plants were howling.

She felt someone appear behind her – no approach, no leap from the canopy, just appear, as though they had conjured themselves from thin air – and she understood. A feeling of terror, of unspeakable horror, of death and despair, an instinctual impression of utter evil thickened in the air like congealing blood. She found herself trembling, her stomach wrenching, her limbs as heavy as though they had been bound by Lee's weights.

"**That was unexpected..."**

The voice reverberated in the very marrow of her bones and seemed to set the bare earth itself quivering. In that voice there were storms and screams, the crack of lightning and the snap of bone, the wail of despair and rattling gasp of death.

In that voice, there was _destruction_.

In front of her, Ino was so pale she looked to be on the verge of fainting, her eyes fixed on the figure behind her with a look of absolute horror in their depths. Sakura didn't look down at Tenten but she imagined a similar expression was adorning the weapon user's face.

Then something cold and hard was seizing Sakura by the hair and dragging her backwards. Darkness seemed to swell from the very earth beneath her feet, and she wanted to scream to Ino as she watched the blackness rise behind her friend like a polluted tidal wave, but all her throat managed to emit was a weak croak. The strangely solid darkness engulfed Sakura in the next instant as though she had been swallowed into a monster's maw, and the world around her vanished. There was a vague sensation of movement, and when the darkness slipped away like a veil, Sakura knew she and her teammates had somehow been transported somewhere else.

For the moment, she wasn't concerned with the 'how' – it was the 'where' that had her worried.

The world all around her was dead. The shaking Ino in front of her and the frozen Tenten beside her seemed to be the only living things as far as she see – everything else was simply cracked rocks and black earth, overhung by a sky the colour of blood, torn through with black lightning.

The feeling of horror was multiplied ten-fold. Sakura felt physically ill – sick and weak and shaky, as though she'd just recovered from a serious illness.

"S...Sakura..." Tenten gurgled from beside her, her voice choked as though the terror that lay in the air was a physical hand strangling her throat.

The hand – for she was fairly certain it was a hand – in her hair tightened, yanking upwards painfully, and Sakura was forced to stand or have her pink locks torn from her scalp. No sooner had she gained her feet than they were nearly jerked out from under her when the hand twisted savagely, forcing her to turn around.

Sakura found herself facing a man's chest, clad in a robe that looked black at first glance, but at times seemed to have a red glint to the material. Like dried blood reflecting the light.

"**It's been a while...Sakura..."**

There was a hint of relish in the voice that made her tremble, even as she cursed herself for displaying her fear. Her scalp prickled uncomfortably, but not from his grip – the hand had gentled as soon as she'd turned around – but it seemed like it was almost...burning...as though from sheer proximity. As though simply having the hand in her hair was enough to hurt.

"**Don't tell me you've forgotten me."**

Every fibre in her body was screaming in terror, screaming for her to fight, to kick, to punch, to do something...but she couldn't move a muscle. As though she had reached a level of fear so extreme her mind was detaching itself from her body.

_'How does he know me?'_ some small, still-lucid part of her wondered. _'How does he...?'_

Her thoughts died when cold fingers slid under her chin – the contact of skin on skin sending darts of pain through her jaw – and yanked her face up to meet the figure's eyes.

And Sakura could have sworn she felt the earth fall from beneath her feet. That face, she knew that face...

Itachi.

-xxx-

_AN: I delayed posting this chapter because I'm not happy with it for some reason (don't ask me to explain, there's just something that bothers me about it) but my beta seemed to like it fine, and told me to just put it up and stop worrying. I listened to him._


	8. The Black Seal

**Chapter 8**

**The Black Seal**

"Itachi...you're...you're dead..." was all Sakura's beleaguered, frantic mind could come up with.

Itachi smiled – not a smirk, but a real smile. And even though it was cruel and malevolent, the expression struck Sakura as being wrong, somehow. Granted, she'd never had as much contact with Itachi as Naruto or Sasuke, but he'd still struck her as the type of person who never smiled, no matter what.

"You're dead..." she repeated numbly – it seemed the only words her mouth was capable of saying. "You're dead..."

"**So you have said."**

Sakura winced as his voice sounded again – that pervasive, malicious voice echoing with a thousand sorrows. Her body seemed to shudder and rebel against the sound, like nails on chalkboard. His breath ghosted over her face, smelling of death, decay and blood; increasing her nausea.

The grip on her chin was becoming quite painful. It wasn't that he was holding her tightly, instead it was as though his skin were red-hot metal – even though his hands were cold, Sakura could feel her flesh blistering beneath his fingers. But she didn't jerk away – she couldn't. Itachi's power seemed to leak from every pore, and the sheer force of it kept her immobile, frozen in place as though liquid nitrogen had been poured over her.

"**What did you do, little Sakura, to so injure my wraiths?"** Itachi's voice was mild and inquiring, but Sakura could sense the rage behind his words. His anger saturated the air like a physical thing, and his fury and power combined to make a hideously oppressive force that bore down on Sakura from every side, demanding her surrender, and she was sure she would be on her knees already were it not for the hand cupping her chin, keeping her upright.

"I...I don't know," she gasped out. "I don't know."

_'But I sure wish I did,'_ she acknowledged ruefully. After all, if it had hurt the – what did Itachi call them...wraiths? – then maybe it could hurt him, too. She was mildly surprised she could still think under the current circumstances, but the sheer surreality of the events seemed to have created some sort of mental block. As though this was far too strange for her mind to comprehend, so it had simply taken her shock at everything bizarre and unexplainable – such as dead people mysteriously being alive again and the torn, dead world they were currently inhabiting – and shunted it to the side, to be dealt with later.

"**You really don't know, do you?"** Itachi mused, his eyes drifting across her features pensively.

His close scrutiny was making something squirm uncomfortably in her stomach. Feeling a burst of courage – from where, she couldn't even begin to guess – she swung her fist at him, pouring chakra into it, throwing a punch that could have leveled a building...

He caught her wrist in his hand with no visible effort – it was as though he'd simply snatched a moth out of midair. This time, his grip was hard, and Sakura gritted her teeth as she felt the bones of her wrist begin to separate. She tried to twist her arm from his grasp, but her struggles were useless; she felt like a flea trying to move a boulder. She held in a whimper as the skin on her wrist began to burn with pain as well. She tried to jerk away, but the fingers on her chin tightened, preventing her from so much as turning her face to the side...

In the back of her mind, Sakura noted that Itachi's eyes looked different to what she remembered. Instead of the constant Sharingan appearance, his irises were now jet black, so dark Sakura was having trouble distinguishing his pupils, shot through with jagged streaks of crimson.

She stared into Itachi's eyes...and found herself suddenly frozen in place. This wasn't the paralysis of fear that he seemed able to inflict simply by _being_, this was the type of paralysis that locked every muscle like steel cables, that didn't even allow her to twitch her fingers.

"**You don't know what I am, do you, Faerie?"**

Sakura didn't know what was more frightening, the fact that he knew she was half-Faerie, or the note of pure relish in his voice when he asked her. At the same time, she wondered at Itachi's apparent willingness to make conversation – he had never seemed the chatty sort...

Her breath froze in her throat. The streaks of red in Itachi's eyes had begun to move, snapping back and forth across the irises like the lightning that streaked across the sky. And Sakura found herself drawn into those eyes, as though they had somehow expanded to fill her vision. She felt her mental processes slow to a crawl, and though she had never been hypnotised she found herself thinking this was what it would feel like.

"**Perhaps you should be educated..."**

Something took root and exploded in her mind in streaks of violence and flashes of malevolence. Sudden understanding, sudden comprehension...sudden_knowledge_...of what Itachi was and what he had done to become it slammed through her like a hurricane.

Sakura couldn't help the half-groan, half-whimper that crawled from her lips, her throat too constricted by fear to even allow her to scream. She wanted to pull away, to break the searing eye contact she was locked into but she could barely breathe, let alone move. She wanted to run, to scream, to hit him...but she was frozen, utterly paralysed, unable to...

"_Sakura!_"

At the sound of Ino's desperate shout, Itachi's compulsion seemed to shatter. Sakura yanked her face from his grasp and stumbled backwards, her mouth dry, her heart galloping like a racehorse, her recently-gained knowledge of exactly what Itachi was setting her trembling with a crippling combination of shock and horror.

_'We have to get out of here!'_ she thought wildly, her gaze riveted on Itachi's chest, not daring to look him in the eye again. _'We can't...we can't hurt him...we have to run...'_

But apparently Ino thought differently. The sound of rapid footsteps alerted Sakura, and she swung around to find Ino rushing Itachi.

Itachi didn't even glance at her – he simply extended his hand towards her and flicked his wrist dismissively. Ino felt an invisible force seize her and throw her to the ground, making abused ribs scream anew. Coughing weakly, hoping the sharp, shooting pain her side didn't mean her lung had been punctured, she rolled over and tried to gain her feet again, only to find that the black earth beneath her had somehow warped to latch onto her wrists and ankles, chaining her to the ground. It was like being tied with granite.

Only then did Itachi turn his head to pin her with his smouldering gaze. **"Do not interfere, Yamanaka. Your clan may possess techniques I will find useful, but don't think I won't strike you down the instant you irritate me."**

_'Simultaneously implying that he'll soon achieve some kind of position that would give him power over my clan and that my charge wasn't dangerous enough to irritate him,'_ Ino thought, feeling another surge of fear.

Then her thoughts ground to a halt as the third member of their team darted past her.

Apparently sufficiently recovered from her brush with death – and Ino still couldn't figure out how Sakura had managed to heal the hideous injury so quickly – Tenten had launched herself at Itachi, swinging into a spinning roundhouse aimed at his face.

Itachi snatched her leg out of mid-air and drove her head-first into the ground like he was swatting a mosquito. Tenten's skull slammed against the earth with a sickening crack, and she went limp in his grasp, her eyes sliding shut. But Itachi didn't let go of her ankle, holding her suspended by her leg as he examined the unconscious woman.

"**No clan, no bloodline ability,"** Itachi noted, as though he were assessing the quality of a cut of meat. **"No particularly revolutionary jutsus or skills..."** His eyes flickered contemptuously. **"You are of no use to me."**

Sakura saw Itachi raise his fist, drawing it back as though readying himself to deliver a blow to Tenten's stomach. Black smoke gathered around his fingers, seemingly pouring from his very skin, and she knew that Itachi intended to kill Tenten with one blow.

"_NO!_"

She didn't know where it came from – the sudden, thundering surge of power, like a river bursting a dam wall. But the oppressive, choking pressure of Itachi's power lifted abruptly, her fear of him dissolved in a wave of desperation.

Sakura hurled herself at Itachi, one hand closing around his fist even as the other sought his throat.

And this time, she hurt him.

As soon as she touched the blackness gathering at the edges of his hand, something bright and throbbing, and so starkly white it was almost blinding compared to the darkness around it, snapped from Sakura's hand. She felt it as a rush of...something...that seemed to come from deep within her, from some hidden, cloistered part of her that was suddenly rushing to the forefront. When it touched Itachi's skin, the light twisted and warped, plunging into his flesh like hooked claws.

Itachi roared with pain and rage, letting Tenten drop to the ground, swinging the hand that had previously grasped her ankle down and into Sakura's face.

It was like being hit with a sledgehammer. Sakura felt her cheekbone fold beneath the blow like wet paper, the crunch of bone reverberating horribly through her skull. The power he had gathered into his fist raked her flesh like claws of acid, and laid the side of her face open to the bone – she could feel the strangely solid darkness hiss its way straight through her cheek and scrape against her teeth.

There was a strange moment of half-numbness before the pain truly set in, and by that time Sakura had clapped her hand to her face and had already half-healed the injury. It closed slowly, and it almost felt like the wounds were resisting healing – as though the injury were_trying_ to stay open and bleeding.

Itachi was staring down at her, and to Sakura's astonishment, there was real surprise in his face.

"**What are you?"**

Sakura stared at him, some part of her wondering the same thing. What Itachi had driven into her mind was mainly a confusing jumble of images and knowledge, but she knew what he'd become. Just as she knew she shouldn't have been capable of hurting him.

Her cheekbone swelled beneath her hand, firm and hard once more as she repaired the cracks in the bone. The blood dribbling between her fingers slowed and finally stopped, the rent skin closing and knitting together smoothly, without even a mark to show it had ever been torn.

With no real clear idea of what she was doing, only that she'd managed to hurt him once before and should be able to do so again, Sakura made it to her feet once more, preparing for another rush...

Only to find herself slammed brutally into the ground. One swiftly-extended hand saved her from biting dark earth, but when she tried to rise, she found she couldn't. She had been tethered by black ropes, seemingly made of freezing, inky darkness that slithered against her skin like water. Her wrists, her ankles, her hips, her elbows, her shoulders, her knees...almost every part of her body had been bound. Only her head had been left unharnessed.

Sakura twisted her head in an effort to locate Itachi, and found him just behind her, the ends of the black ropes attached to his fingers like strings. Sakura found herself strongly reminded of Kankuro and his puppets.

She learned just how correct that analogy was when Itachi jerked his hand, the binds yanked viciously on her shoulders, and she found herself pulled up into a kneeling position.

Sakura tried to look behind her again, but Itachi twisted his fingers cruelly in her hair and held her head in place. Then his other hand was laid on the small of her back, and she felt the material of her shirt begin to melt away beneath his touch.

Her first, semi-hysterical thought was rape, but when cold fingers that somehow burned began to trace her seal, Sakura realised his objective was something quite different.

For some reason, the movement of his fingers on her skin increased her nausea a hundred-fold, until she was certain she was about to empty her stomach. There was also the fact that it was _her seal_ – the seal placed on her by her mother, the seal that determined and regulated the link between her chakra abilities and Faerie powers – that he was touching that left her so scared. She didn't think she could have felt more vulnerable if Itachi had stripped her naked and hung her from the Hokage monument. She tried to tap into her powers again, into that overwhelming rush of...something...but no matter how much power she drew, it didn't feel the same. As though now that she'd touched it once, it had simply retreated further from her.

"**Interesting..."** Itachi murmured. **"A half-Faerie may be even more useful to me than I first thought."**

"There's no way I'm doing anything for you!" Sakura spat, struggling against her bonds.

"**Oh, you will...with the right encouragement..."** he continued, with a calmness in his voice that was far more terrifying than any bullying could have been. **"Still, until you do, I can't have you running around unchecked."**

And then Sakura felt Itachi's power lick from his hand and punch into the seal like a lance.

She couldn't help the scream that burst from her throat, her seal burning as though a cattle brand had been pressed to it. The pain spread steadily, until it felt like her entire body was encased in molten lava, every nerve ending howling at the searing agony, shrieking for release that would not come.

But even beyond the pain, Sakura could feel something horrific and vile, something cold and poisonous worming itself into her very soul. All her shinobi training seemed to have fled her – all she could do was flail and writhe uselessly as she instinctively tried to pull away from the pain and the feeling of being violated. Blackness hovered on the edges of her vision, there was a dull roaring in her ears, and she was nearly deafened by the sound of her own screams.

She tried to resist, fought to resist, but a sudden, devastating increase in the searing agony that consumed her body was the final straw. The darkness that flickered at the horizon of her sight finally swamped her, sending her floating down into unconsciousness.

-xxx-

Looking back on it, Ino had no idea what had happened. One moment she was shackled to the ground, Itachi seemed about to kill Tenten, then Sakura charged him, there was this flash of white light and he actually appeared to be _hurt_, but then Sakura was kneeling in the dirt, black ropes securing her to Itachi's hand, and the sound emerging from her lips was one Ino was sure no human throat was meant to make. Because no human being was meant to be in that much pain.

And then, just as swiftly as it had begun, it was over, vanishing like the scarf in a magician's act. No heavy black earth around her limbs, no stormy red sky, no imposing figures who could make the very air thick with dread.

Ino had no problem with the change – she just wished she could have had some inkling of what was going on.

"Sakura?" was her first thought, spotting the half-Faerie sprawled on the ground. "Sakura, are you okay?"

She didn't move. Remembering Itachi's hand descend on her back, glowing with dark power, Ino carefully turned her over, worried she might have been injured.

In the back of Sakura's shirt was a large hole, the cloth singed at the edges – as though Itachi had scorched the material away – but it was what the hole revealed that had caught Ino's attention.

Sakura's seal.

It wasn't the dark green symbol she remembered; the cherry blossom in the centre surrounded by the circlet of vines with radiating tendrils. Now, the seal was a dark, poisonous black, and the edges where it met her skin were red and slightly inflamed – like the edges of an infected wound. The circlet had constricted around the blossom like a strangler fig, and the vines were choking the flower rather than framing it.

Itachi had done something to Sakura's seal. Ino didn't know what, but she was fairly sure they'd need to get back to Konoha to have any chance of figuring it out.

At that thought, she began to search for their teammate, remembering Itachi dropping an unconscious Tenten like a hot brick to hit Sakura...

Ino found Tenten's senseless body on the ground behind her. Her first, frightened thought was that Itachi had hit the brunette harder than she thought – that Tenten was dead. But then she saw her chest rise and fall, and was reassured that Tenten was still alive, at least. Examining her for other injuries, Ino realised that her shirt was in shreds – probably torn when she inhaled that creature and her ribs had forced their way through her skin.

Biting her lip against the pain in her chest, Ino bent and picked Tenten up in her arms, draping her over one shoulder. Her ribs moaned in agony, and though she knew she should do something about her injuries, with the prospect of a long, draining run to Konoha with two injured friends slung over her shoulders, she didn't know if she had any chakra to waste on healing herself.

"What do you eat, girl?" Ino muttered. "Bricks?"

After shouldering Sakura as well, Ino almost couldn't stand. Muscle weighed more than fat, and her teammates were living proof of that.

So with her two companions slung over her shoulders, her chakra at dangerously low levels and her ribs protesting every breath, Ino began the long, laborious trek back to Konoha.

-xxx-

"And you have absolutely no idea what happened to them?" Tsunade demanded, standing from her desk so she could at least pace and have some outlet for her frustration.

The ANBU shook his head. "We found Yamanaka about a league north of here, carrying her two unconscious teammates and on the point of collapse herself. We took them to the hospital, where Yamanaka was promptly sedated to facilitate the treatment of her injuries – we had no chance to get her report, and she didn't seem in any state to volunteer information."

The Hokage gritted her teeth. How had a routine mission turned out like this? What had attacked the three women?

The fact that said attackers could be on their way to Konoha even now did nothing for Tsunade's peace of mind.

"Alright!" she snapped decisively. "I need ANBU patrols heading north now – but be well-equipped! Act as though you're going into battle. I'm in no doubt as to the capabilities of my apprentice and her teammates – whatever hit them, had to have hit damn hard to take all of them down."

The ANBU nodded, and left in record time.

Tsunade did not sit back down at her desk. Instead, she left for the hospital.

She was going to find out what had happened. Even if she had to stay at a bedside for two days until one of them woke up.

-xxx-

Ino felt as though she were floating. Not in the sense of joy or elation, but more in the sense that everything was very fuzzy and blurred, and she couldn't really feel much of her body. In some ways, that was good – her ribs had stopped hurting – and in other ways, not so good – she had the sense that she had to do something very important, which would probably be difficult in her current state.

She was vaguely aware of people moving around her, often with long intervals between their visits, but it was only vaguely. She felt like she was permanently suspended in that hazy state between sleeping and waking, the state that was meant to last only a moment at most, but for some reason now seemed to be lasting hours.

It would have been nice to simply relax, stop struggling for thought and awareness, and sink down into the thick morass of deep, resting sleep...but something told her she couldn't. There was a niggling feeling at the back of her mind, the idea that she had to do something, had to tell someone something very important...

If Sakura were here, she would probably joke about Ino having a 'blonde moment'...

_Sakura!_

In a sudden, unpleasant rush, Ino's memory seemed to snap back on like a lightswitch. The mission, those creatures, the fight, the world she never wanted to visit again, the man that made the air scream, the man Sakura had called 'Itachi'...

Ino knew she hadn't really understood even a fifth of what had happened. She had a feeling that Sakura might know more, but she had no way of knowing if she'd recovered from whatever Itachi had done to her seal, so it probably fell to Ino to alert the Hokage.

Except she had to scramble back to full awareness first.

It took several long moments to gather her thoughts and determination to her like lost sheep, and then, with a super-human effort, Ino forced her eyes to open.

Her first sight was a very white, very sterile ceiling. She smelled disinfectant and that dry, clinical odour that seemed common to hospitals and doctor's offices alike. Her mouth and throat felt parched, and she was pretty sure the nagging, itchy pain in her left hand was an IV needle.

Ino turned her head to the side, trying to get her bearings before she called in a nurse and demanded to be taken to the Hokage...

Only to find the Hokage herself was sitting beside her.

"Lady Tsunade!" Ino yelped, surprise nearly sending her rocketing from the bed. But she was brought up short by the renewal of the vicious, stabbing pain in her chest.

"Don't make any sudden moves," Tsunade warned, shoving pillows up behind Ino's back so the younger blonde could rest in an upright position relatively comfortably. "You've broken three ribs."

"I thought I might've," Ino commented, absently wondering why the medics hadn't healed her yet as she glanced around for some water. "Is there any-"

She was cut off when the Hokage shoved a disposable plastic cup filled with water under her nose. Ino took it gratefully, handling it with her right hand so as not to jostle the IV, and drank the stale-tasting water down in a few swift swallows.

"Thanks."

Ino chanced another glance at her surroundings. Now that her thirst had been quenched for the moment, she concentrated more on the occupants of the other three beds in the room. One was empty, but the others...

Tenten's eyes were closed, and she too sported an IV needle in her hand, secured with tape. Ino found herself wondering if Tenten had simply been concussed, or if the injury was more severe...fractured skull, maybe?

Sakura was so surrounded by machines and monitors Ino could barely glimpse her friend through the tangle of wires and the electric glow of screens. But Sakura didn't seem badly injured; in fact, it looked like she was simply sleeping. Ino would bet the gadgetry wasn't an estimate of how bad Sakura's condition was – the monitors were probably there to try to help the medics figure out what was wrong with her.

"Now I'd like you to explain exactly what happened to put the three of you in here," Tsunade said bluntly.

"I don't think I can do that," Ino said honestly. "I can tell you what happened and what I saw, but as for explaining it..." She shrugged expressively.

"Just tell me."

Ino took a deep breath – wincing as her ribs prickled – and began her story.

-xxx-

"Gods..." Tsunade breathed, leaning back in her chair and running a hand over her face. "And you're sure Sakura called him Itachi?"

Ino nodded. "And she was saying 'you're dead', over and over again."

Tsunade digested that for a moment. "It almost sounds too far-fetched to be believed. I might not believe it, if the ANBU patrol hadn't told me about the Akatsuki corpses they found. But, even assuming all this is possible, why did Itachi let you go? He had to have known you would simply come straight back here to report it..."

"I don't know," Ino said, looking down at her white, hospital-issue blanket. "I mean, he could have killed us easily – and I mean_ really_ easily – but he didn't. He just did whatever he did to Sakura's seal and let us go. It's almost like he...doesn't care..."

"That's right, he doesn't," came a hoarse voice from across the room.

Tsunade and Ino started, their gazes flashing across the room to see Sakura, awake and aware, propping herself up in her bed.

"Sakura!" Ino gasped, then winced as her ribs once more reminded her of their injured state.

"How are you feeling?" Tsunade asked, bustling over and pressing a cup of water into her hands, mimicking what she'd done for Ino.

"Fine, and thanks for the water," Sakura answered, draining the cup. She looked down at the many leads attached to her, following them to the machines beside the bed. "I must have had everyone pretty worried, huh?"

"You can say that again!" Ino snapped, the strain and worry of the long, lonely trek back to Konoha with two unconscious teammates on her shoulders exploding in an abrupt flurry of words. "There was the flash of light and that guy yelled and then he was touching your seal and you _screamed_-"

"I know, Ino, I know," Sakura sighed, cutting off a diatribe that could last anywhere from thirty seconds to ten minutes, depending on how worried her friend had been. "And I promise I will let you scream at me later for making you worry, but right now, I really need to tell you and Lady Tsunade something."

Ino closed her mouth obediently and waited.

"When I tried to hit him, he mentioned something about me not knowing what he was," Sakura began. "He said I should be educated, and then...

She shuddered for a moment, remembering that horrible moment of comprehension. "It was like he was hypnotising me, or casting genjutsu or something. There was this thing...like a stream of images and facts going straight into my brain...and it told me exactly what he is and what he's done to become it."

"We can't trust it," Tsunade said immediately. "If he deliberately fed you the information, then the purpose of said information is simply to lead us in the wrong direction, so we cannot properly prepare ourselves to face him."

"I know," Sakura nodded. "But..."

"But?"

"But I think it's true," she whispered, her eyes fixed on her blanket. "So many things make sense...and it's more than that...it's like when it happened I could sense the truth in it...I could sense what he was..."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "How?"

"The same way we can sense the difference between humans and Faerie. At first I didn't know what I was feeling...but when I knew...it became obvious."

"Yeah..." Ino murmured, almost to herself. "He felt...different, didn't he? Like something really old...and really bad..."

"Well, we can debate the legitimacy of the information later," Tsunade said. "Once we know what it is. What _has_ Itachi become?"

Sakura hesitated, wondering how she was going to break this to them. It was a concept her mind still couldn't truly wrap itself around...maybe if she just blurted it out like Naruto...

"Itachi took Skwall's essence into himself – Itachi has become a god."

Dumbfounded and horrified silence reigned. Both Ino and Tsunade were staring at Sakura as though she'd lost her mind. The half-Faerie decided not to take it personally, and instead took the opportunity to explain exactly how this had come to be.

"Do you remember when I told you that a kidnapping attempt prompted my mother to seal me?"

The blondes blinked sharply, clearly taken aback by the sudden turn in the conversation while their minds were still wrestling with the concept of Itachi as a god.

"Well, one of the reasons she was so terrified of it happening again was because they never caught whoever did it. Turns out it was Itachi – who'd have thought, huh?"

Still no response. Sakura figured she might as well keep talking – probably best to bombard them with all the information now, before they started firing questions at her.

"Apparently he'd found a mention of Skwall in some of the oldest Uchiha scrolls, and was trying to seek him out – for power, I guess. He tried to kidnap me because I represented a link to the Otherworld; he could probably use me to reach Skwall, as well. But that didn't work out, so he had to try something else."

Sakura took a deep breath, and tried to explain further. "I'm sort of fuzzy on the next part – when all this knowledge just came into mind, it didn't come equally, you see. Some parts are really clear, some don't really make sense. But from what was shoved into my head, it seems to imply that there are three realms. This realm, the Otherworld – Haevyn's creation – and another place called the Elseworld that Skwall created. And apparently to reach Skwall, Itachi would somehow have to go through death or use a dead spirit or something. So when he killed his best friend for the Mangekyou Sharingan he also used his friend's spirit to somehow get to wherever Skwall's essence was being held. It's sort of like he piggy-backed on it somehow..."

Sakura scrubbed a hand over her eyes, a little frustrated at her limited knowledge on this point. If Itachi was going to let her know what had happened, why not let her know everything?

_'But he probably doesn't want us knowing too much,'_ her logical mind pointed out. _'He'll tell us just enough to creep us out and get us properly frightened of him, but the exact details he'll keep to himself.'_

"But because Itachi is – well, _was_ – a human, he couldn't utilise Skwall's powers to their fullest extent without it tearing him apart. To complete the melding, he needed to die. But apparently, not just any death – he needed to be killed in cold blood by one of his family. So he killed the clan and set Sasuke after him, and when Sasuke killed him, he merged fully with Skwall."

Sakura swallowed, leaned back, and awaited Tsunade's and Ino's reactions. Some distant corner of her brain winced as she wondered who was going to break the news to Sasuke.

"Holy shit!" Ino eventually hissed. Two words that, Sakura felt, summed up their situation perfectly.

Tsunade's fingers fluttered to her temples, as though to stave off an impending headache. She didn't want to believe it – she wanted to tell herself that Sakura had sustained some sort of head injury and hallucinated it all – but her apprentice's eyes were bright and light-responsive, with no hint of a possible concussion or the like, and...

And it made a horrible kind of sense.

Yet her mind simply couldn't seem to get a handle on it. Itachi...as a god. A ruthless, psychopathic killer...now wielded the powers of a god. A man supposedly a year dead had returned...as a god.

"I have a lot of very pressing questions," the Hokage said at last, her voice firm. "I'm going to ask them and you are going to answer to the best of your ability, understood?"

Sakura nodded – she could practically see the wheels turning in Tsunade's head as she scrambled to get a hold on the situation. Ino, who had seemed about to open her mouth, leaned back in her bed and watched the exchange with wide eyes.

"Itachi tried to kidnap you because he thought he could use you to get to Skwall?" Tsunade reiterated. "Why?"

"I honestly have no real idea," Sakura said honestly. "Maybe because of my link to the Otherworld, I could somehow form a bridge to the Elseworld as well? Maybe it's easier to reach the Elseworld from the Otherworld and he just wanted to find a way to the Otherworld?"

Tsunade hummed in thought, then launched off again. "Was the Elseworld that place Ino described to me – the place Itachi took you, with black earth and a red sky?"

Sakura nodded.

"What killed the Akatsuki? Do you think it was Itachi?"

The half-nymph shrugged. "I don't know exactly what killed them...but I don't think it was Itachi himself. It was probably one of Elseworld's creatures, acting on his command. Like the Otherworld has inhabitants like unicorns and centaurs and the like, Elseworld had its own creatures, though I don't know what they'd be like."

Ino had a moment to wonder how anything could live in that grim, blasted wasteland. She'd only spent a few minutes in there and she had no desire to ever return.

"Do you think the creatures that attacked you were from the Elseworld?" Tsunade asked.

"I'd say so," Sakura said. "I don't see what else they could be. Itachi did call them 'his wraiths'..."

The Hokage's lips thinned. "So it's likely we can expect others like them in the near future?"

"Unfortunately."

Tsunade's eyes slid out of focus, and she seemed to be mulling something over in her head. "Do you have any idea how Itachi could have used his friend's dead spirit to reach Skwall?"

Sakura shook her head. "Not the foggiest idea. I can't see how he could piggy-back on it the first place, or how said piggy-backing could have brought him to Skwall."

"If Itachi needed Sasuke to kill him to merge fully with Skwall, he could have let Sasuke kill him when Sasuke was twelve. Why did he make it so difficult?"

"Beats me," Sakura said. "Maybe he got a kick out of it."

The idea sent a dart of cold rage through her – that Sasuke's anguish might have been nothing but entertainment to Itachi.

Tsunade considered for several moments. "This merging...what exactly does it entail?"

"Skwall's essence and power become Itachi's. The god's power becomes his, sort of like an injection of adrenaline – it's just suddenly _there_. But I think...I'm not sure...but I think it then takes time to learn to use them. Like when my powers were coming in and it was less about gaining more power and more about learning what the powers I already had could do. I think that's why it took a year before he made a move like this...he was learning what he could do. He wasn't going to leave anything to chance."

Another thoughtful hum.

"There's another thing," Sakura continued. "I think the merging affected Itachi's personality somehow. I mean, I know I had very little contact with him, a lot of which I can't remember because of the head injury and all...but he was almost...chatty...gloating...I can't really explain it, but I just got the feeling that his personality had been changed. Not a complete change, because he was still a sadistic bastard...but a_ little_ different. Tweaked or adjusted somehow."

"I guess that makes some sort of vague sense," Tsunade remarked. "Since Skwall is essentially a separate entity, with his own mind and personality, plans and designs...if Itachi merged with him, it would certainly alter those same aspects of Itachi."

There was a pause while they both digested that.

"Did you have any idea why he let you go?" Tsunade asked at last, repeating the question she'd asked Ino earlier. "He had to have known you'd alert the village, why did he give you the chance? And Ino told me you hurt him somehow...why give you the chance to potentially do it again?"

Sakura bit her lip. "I think...because he simply doesn't care. He's too powerful, and too confident in that power, to be bothered if all of Konoha is up in arms against him. But he didn't expect me to hurt him and his wraiths, and he obviously didn't know how I did it, and I think that's why he didn't kill me. He's curious – he wants to know how I could do something like that."

She shrugged. "Don't get me wrong; as soon as he figures it out, he'll kill me without a qualm, but at the moment, I think I'm like...like a project he's set aside for a rainy day. Something he'll figure out when he has some spare time. And if you're planning on asking me how I hurt him...I'm sorry, but I'm as clueless as he is. I have no idea how I did what I did – it just sort of happened. And then when I tried to do it again...there was nothing."

"No idea at all?" Tsunade asked in disappointment.

"Sorry."

"Well, that's rather disappointing, but let's move on. So, he let you know these things about him...because he doesn't care?"

"Not exactly. He's too confident in his power to be concerned about anything we do to try to stop him, but I think he let us know these things because he knows exactly what they'll do to us. They'll frighten us, make us worried, make us think we're doomed...I think he just likes spreading fear."

Tsunade nodded. "Why can't the medics heal Ino's ribs or Tenten's concussion?"

Ino tilted her head forward a little – she'd been wondering why the medics hadn't healed her ribs...

Sakura frowned, thinking for long moments, before she remembered the way the wound on her face had resisted closing. To check the half-formed theory hovering on the fringes of her mind, she peeled back the bandages on her wrist to reveal long, finger-shaped welts.

She hadn't healed the wrist Itachi had grabbed before passing out. While the injury was mild, and shouldn't have taken a well-trained medic over two minutes to heal, it still remained on her wrist, even after what was obviously a lengthly stay in the hospital, if the quietly humming machines were any indication.

Sakura moved her free hand to cover the marks on her wrist and concentrated chakra into her palm, trying to coax the blistered flesh to heal...

Nothing happened.

Something cold and hard settled in Sakura's stomach as she remembered how she had healed the savage wound on her cheek in record time, even through its resistance. This was simply further proof of what she'd known in her heart since waking in the hospital bed, and what she'd been gradually confirming during the ensuing conversation.

"Sakura?" Tsunade said softly, worried at the grim expression that had flashed across the medic's face.

"I'm not too sure about this, but I think it's because the injuries were inflicted by Skwall, and he's essentially the god of destruction. So maybe anything he destroys tries – in some sort of metaphysical way – to stay destroyed, you know? I know that when I healed my face it felt like it was resisting healing..."

"But that's just it," Ino interrupted, with a quick glance at the Hokage. "You could still heal it. Why couldn't the medics heal me and Tenten?"

"Maybe chakra alone can't heal injuries inflicted by Skwall?" Sakura hazarded. "Maybe my Faerie powers somehow make me able to influence them in a way others can't?"

"So..." Ino continued, sounding distinctly more cheery. "While the other medics don't have a hope in hell of fixing us up, you can heal us, right?"

Sakura's eyes dropped to the bed, where her fingers were toying anxiously with the hem of the blanket. "Not exactly..."

Tsunade frowned, sensing that whatever her apprentice was about to say was not good news. "Sakura?"

Sakura opened her mouth, but whatever she was going to say was driven from her throat as she realised the seal on her back was beginning to burn. With a choked gasp of surprise and horror, she reached around and pressed the flat of her palm to the small of her back. Even through the cloth of the hospital gown, the skin felt unnaturally warm.

Pain blossomed from the seal like an opening flower. Sakura clenched her jaw and hissed sharply through her teeth – as a kunoichi, she was well-used to pain, and this was well below what she could tolerate, but sharp, malevolent surges told her it was probably going to get a lot worse very quickly.

But it wasn't the pain that had her so unsettled. It was the feeling of something driving into her mind and soul, similar to when Itachi had first started to work his power on the Faerie symbol. Like a crowbar had been jammed into some chink in her being and was now trying to lever her open.

In a moment of sickening realisation, Sakura remembered the moment when Itachi had mentioned she would be 'useful'. She remembered loudly repudiating the idea that she would do anything for him, and she remembered his response.

"_**Oh, you will...with the right encouragement..."**_

Apparently this was the 'encouragement' he'd been talking about.

"Sakura?" Ino was leaning forward, dismissing the way her ribs objected to her position, more concerned about the panicked, horrified expression settling on her friend's face.

"It's happening again," Sakura choked. "It's like he's trying to...trying to take over my mind or something..."

Her words were cut off, morphing into a strangled shriek as agony suddenly reared through her like fire through dry tinder.

Tsunade leapt forward as the half-nymph convulsed on the bed, Sakura's howls of utter agony echoing through the room and down the hallway. The machines she was attached to began to wail, blaring their alarm as Sakura's vital signs shot off the charts.

Ino was barely aware of the nurses that came hurtling to the doorway, barely aware of Tsunade shoving them out of the room with the scathing remark that they could do nothing, barely aware of Tenten jerking upright in the bed, demanding to know what was happening...all she could see was her friend, screaming the way she'd screamed when Itachi had first laid his hand on her seal.

All she could think was that, once again, she couldn't do anything to help her.

Or could she? Sakura had said that Itachi was trying to take over her mind, trying to force her to his will...and from what Ino remembered of Itachi and Sakura's brief conversation, it sounded like the god of destruction had plans for Sakura once she was under his thumb.

Sakura's head whipped back against the pillow, the howl changing to a high, keening whine as she began to run out of breath.

Ino didn't know the first thing about Faerie magic. She couldn't undo whatever Itachi had done. She couldn't stop Sakura's pain.

But she might be able to help Sakura fight off whatever was happening to her.

She was a Yamanaka – her signature jutsu was based purely on the transfer of her mind to another's, and the subsequent domination of that mind. In all the long years of her ninja career, Sakura was the only one who'd ever been able to cast her out.

Ino was well aware it was likely her friend could manage on her own. She knew that even if Sakura was finding herself subsumed by Itachi, her presence might not make a difference.

Ino knew all of this...but if there was even the faintest, slimmest, wildest chance that she could help Sakura...she had to take it.

No matter what it cost.

Tsunade, bent over Sakura's bed and using her immense strength to try to ensure her apprentice wouldn't harm herself while her body twisted and arched beyond her control, saw the flurry of handseals out of the corner of her eye, and guessed what Ino was doing.

"Yamanaka Ino, don't you dare-"

But the blonde thrust out her hands in a very familiar seal, and then slumped back against her pillows in the next instant, eyes closed, body breathing deeply and evenly as though fast asleep.

Sakura didn't stop thrashing, but her eyes slipped closed, and the horrific shrieks died. The silence fell so suddenly and so abruptly Tsunade's ears rang. The only sounds were her own heavy breathing, and the rustle of cloth and wire as Sakura's body fought to jerk and flail against the Hokage's grip.

"Now can someone please explain what's happening?" Tenten hissed, then winced slightly, one hand coming up to press against her forehead. "Is Sakura alright?"

Tsunade looked down at the half-Faerie who was now twitching and jerking as though in the grip of a seizure.

"I wish I knew."

-xxx-

Ino wasn't quite sure what was happening.

When she used her Mind Transfer, the domination of the occupant took only a moment – it was like a brief, split-second blackout, and then she woke up in whatever body she'd chosen to take over. What had happened with Sakura was different – halfway through, she'd found herself suspended in some sort of murky grey world, under attack by what seemed like a monstrous version of the pink-haired kunoichi.

This wasn't at all like those encounters.

For one thing, Ino didn't appear to possess a body. Everything around her was dark, but in the same way that she could feel when she was breathing or making a fist or anything of the sort, she was aware that she no longer had a body. No limbs, no torso, not even a face. She just seemed to be a cloud of mental energy floating...somewhere.

She was also aware that wherever she was, Sakura was too. She didn't really know how she knew this – it wasn't like there was a face or a body or anything she could recognise – but wherever she was felt like Sakura. As though the half-Faerie was all around her, like some sort of large, friendly ocean Ino was swimming in.

She was also aware that something was trying to encroach on this Sakura-ocean. Something twisted and sickening, something that felt _bad_ in every sense of the word.

That was probably whatever Itachi was doing.

But now that she was here, Ino realised she had absolutely no idea what to do. It wasn't like she could hurl kunai, or shove the enemy out of Sakura's mind...

_'Maybe that's it!'_ Ino realised. _'This is Sakura's mind...and a mind is, mentally speaking, just a bunch of thoughts that make up a person...so wouldn't thoughts have as much power here as kicks and punches do in the real world?'_

It wasn't much, but it was all she had to go on.

With a resolve that would have narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists if she'd been in her body, Ino focused on the intruder she couldn't see but was somehow aware of, and sent a barrage of thoughts the equivalent of a mental shove.

_'Get back...go away...you're not welcome here...'_

She was aware of Sakura around her doing the same thing – she felt it like an invisible but still tangible wave of force directed at the intruder, intent on washing them clear out of Sakura's mind. Ino could feel the resistance it presented, felt the wave smash against their enemy (Ino didn't think she could call it Itachi...it was more like a force that acted on Itachi's command) and felt it when the wave broke.

But the intruder had been forced back a little, its hold no longer so firm in Sakura's mind.

Feeling Sakura rallying around her again, Ino tried once more.

_'Get out...get away...get out...'_

Another wave, another break, another tiny slide backwards. But the intruder was fighting now, struggling to force its way into Sakura's mind and overwhelm the medic. The third wave Ino and Sakura created was met with a wave of the intruder's own.

Some part of Ino wondered exactly how she knew all this – it wasn't like she could see, hear, or touch anything. She shoved that thought to the back of her mind, to be puzzled over later – now wasn't the time.

By the fourth wave, Ino was beginning to feel tired. People always preached mind over matter, that it was the mind that endured while the body became exhausted...but Ino had found it was actually much harder to keep the mind focused on one thought alone and repeatedly than it was for the body to do one repetitive exercise. The mind naturally tried to bounce from one subject to another, touching on ideas and concepts like a flighty bird. To keep it thinking on one concept, to the exclusion of all others, was like trying to make a plunging, rearing horse stand entirely still.

At the seventh wave, Ino would have been panting if she'd had a physical body.

By the tenth wave, Ino wanted nothing more than to stop thinking entirely and fall into a deep, restful sleep.

By the twelfth wave, Ino was simply enduring.

When the fifteenth wave slammed into the intruder, Ino's determination to help Sakura was the only thing keeping her fighting.

By the nineteenth wave, Ino wondered if this had really been such a bright idea. She could practically feel her mind beginning to fissure beneath the relentless pressure of the intruder's presence, like cracks spider-webbing along a windowpane. She found herself wondering what would happen if the glass actually split apart. Would that be the equivalent of a 'broken mind'...would she go crazy?

Fortunately, Ino didn't have to find out. When that wave broke over their opponent, Ino felt the intruder in Sakura's mind waver...and finally slip away.

Ino barely had time to be relieved before the Sakura-feeling mass around her shifted, and she felt the mental equivalent of what would probably be a gentle nudge, a slow prod out of Sakura's mind.

She was only too pleased to obey.

-xxx-

Tsunade had just finished barking the bare concept of what was going on to Tenten, when Sakura went limp beneath her hands.

The Hokage released her student, examining the ominously still body. Whatever struggle Sakura (and presumably, Ino, too) had been embroiled in had ceased. Someone had won – but who?

Eyelids fluttered like dark-winged butterflies, and parted to reveal tired green eyes that flickered dazedly about before resting on Tsunade's face. A smile started to curl Sakura's lips, before a kind of realisation flashed across her face and she bolted upright in the bed.

"_You idiot!_" she spat at Ino. "That was the stupidest thing you've ever done, bar none!"

The blonde in the other bed was groaning, blinking like a recently-roused sleepwalker, her eyes a little out of focus.

Tenten winced at Sakura's shout. "A little consideration for the girl with the concussion here...my head is still throbbing from all the previous screaming..."

"Sorry," Sakura muttered, and made an effort to rein in her anger and dial the decibel level down.

"I'm sorry, too," Ino said sarcastically. "Real sorry that I hopped into your mind to keep you from being possessed by a maniac. What was I thinking?"

"What _were_ you thinking?" Tsunade growled.

Realising the Hokage was probably truly angry at her insubordination, Ino offered a conciliatory grin in the older woman's direction. "Very sorry, Lady Hokage, but when Sakura mentioned something was trying to take over her mind, I just thought...if she had some reinforcement..."

"You hopped into Sakura's mind to help her fight off whatever Itachi was doing?" Tenten clarified, sounding impressed. "You don't lack guts, Ino, I'll give you that."

At Sakura's and Ino's puzzled stares, and guessing the reasons for it, she explained, "Lady Tsunade told me what was going on."

"Oh, right," Sakura nodded, then turned on her friend again. "Don't get me wrong, Ino – I certainly appreciate the thought...but what if something went wrong? What if he'd taken over my mind? Would he have simply sent you back to your own body, or would he have erased your mind completely?"

Ino shrugged. "Who knows? I knew what I was getting into, Sakura. And I did it anyway – I had to help you."

Sakura's eyes softened at the edges, her mouth tilting upwards in a rueful smile. Ino smiled back.

"Stubborn pig," Sakura needled.

"Obstinate Forehead-girl," Ino tossed back, now looking much more alert than when she'd first opened her eyes.

Tenten shook her head in bewilderment – there were some aspects of Ino and Sakura's friendship/rivalry that she didn't think anyone besides the two women in question would ever understand.

"How did it go?" Tsunade asked, her eyes darting from Ino to Sakura and back again. "For that matter, what exactly happened?"

"I think Itachi was trying to take over my mind," Sakura repeated. "At least, that's what it felt like. I mean, it hurt like hell, too, but I could still feel something trying to...consume me."

Tsunade frowned. "But how could he do that? You're in this realm, he's in the Elseworld..."

"When he messed around with my seal...it was like he put some of himself in me as well," Sakura admitted. "Like he was shoving part of his soul into me or something."

She remembered what she'd felt when Itachi was sealing her, and shivered slightly.

Tsunade sighed, her eyes closing briefly in sympathy. "Do you think he'll try that again?"

"Gods, I hope not..." Ino groaned.

Sakura sighed. "While I wish I could say no...logic tells me there's nothing to stop him trying it again."

Ino heaved a sigh of her own, then flinched as her ribs twinged. "Hey, not that I'm trying to rush you after our little mind-wrestle, but do you think that you could fix me up now? Next time I face Itachi I'd like to do so fit and healthy. Not that it's probably going to make much difference, considering we'll be fighting_ mental_ battles...but I'd still like it if I didn't have three broken ribs."

Sakura bit her lip. This was it...

"Ino..." she began, selecting her words as slowly and carefully as she could. "I won't be able to heal your broken ribs. Or Tenten's concussion."

"Well, don't worry about it now," Ino began. "I mean, if you're too tired..."

"It's not that."

Ino's brow furrowed, concern flashing through her eyes. Sakura's distressed expression and averted gaze told her that something was wrong.

"Are you okay?" Tenten asked. "You've gone a bit pale..."

She didn't want to say it. Sakura had known what had happened to her – she'd felt it – ever since she'd awoken in the hospital, but she couldn't help but be afraid that saying it aloud would make it real, somehow. Real and something they would have to wrestle with.

But fear had never stopped Sakura before, and it wasn't going to now.

"I'm not sure exactly what Itachi did to establish this kind of connection with me – that he can try to take over my body at will," she started. "But I do know what he did to my seal."

In demonstration, she extended her hand towards the small potted plant on the windowsill – obviously some nurse's attempt to brighten the sterile room.

Three pairs of eyes followed her hand, expecting to see the plant bend or grow...but nothing happened. The plant didn't move.

"My Faerie blood had been sealed away again," Sakura said bleakly. "I can't use my Faerie powers anymore."

-xxx-

_AN: Again, thanks to my beta._


	9. Knots Of Wire

**Chapter 9**

**Knots Of Wire**

There was a very charged, very tense silence after Tsunade finished explaining the situation to the gathering in her office. Once she was sure that all three women were in good health and sufficiently provided for, she'd called their teammates, along with Hinata, Kiba and Shino, into her office to inform them of the situation. Most were looking worried or concerned, Neji's expression was closer to anger, and Sasuke...Tsunade hadn't looked at Sasuke since she began the debriefing.

Something told her he wouldn't be taking it well, though. After all, killing the brother who had slaughtered your family was traumatic enough, and to now learn that doing so had played right into his hands, had allowed him to ascend to become a god...

Tsunade wondered how long it would be before Sasuke snapped and broke something, and just how big and expensive that something would be.

"Are they okay?" Naruto asked at last. "Sakura and the others?"

"Tenten has a concussion," Tsunade explained. "So they'll keep her in the hospital and under observation for a while. Ino has three broken ribs and is dangerously close to total chakra depletion – not surprising, given that she carried both Tenten and Sakura back to Konoha herself, and then leapt into Sakura's mind to help her fight off Itachi's takeover – so she'll be in the hospital for a while as well. We're not sure if the injuries can heal on their own, or...well..." Tsunade shrugged sadly.

"But what about Sakura?" Lee asked urgently.

Tsunade sighed heavily. "I don't know. Physically, she's in perfect health, but...she's made it clear that the seal is connected to Itachi. I'm not sure what kind of mental damage she could sustain from prolonged contact with his mind. She assures me she's fine, that she can fight him off if he ever tries something like that again, but..."

"But?" Naruto asked, looking stricken.

"But it's clear that anything that interferes with the seal – anything at all, even Itachi activating it – causes Sakura a great deal of pain. A very great deal."

Hinata's eyes clouded with worry, but her logical mind pointed out a solution. "Have you tried to remove or bind the seal?"

Tsunade's head jerked in something close to a tense nod. "I attempted just such an action after Sakura explained to me that the seal prevented her from using her Faerie powers. But the seal isn't chakra-based – I can't affect it at all. And it was obvious that Sakura was in absolute agony the entire time I was working on the seal. She tried to mute her reactions, tried not to worry me, but..."

Tsunade trailed off and shook her head. "Well, she's alright for the moment. All three are alright for the moment."

When she saw her audience still wasn't reassured, she elaborated. "When I left them, Sakura was procuring painkillers for Ino so she could get some much-needed sleep without her ribs bothering her. And Tenten was threatening the nurse, saying she was well aware that she had a concussion, and that the next person to shine a flashlight in her eyes would find it shoved somewhere very unpleasant."

Neji's face relaxed slightly. "That certainly sounds like Tenten."

"And now..." Tsunade said bluntly, "We have to face the fact that we may soon find ourselves at war with a god."

-xxx-

"Why am I so tired?" Ino grumbled to Sakura. "I don't see you about to fall asleep on your feet, and it was your mind he was trying to invade."

"That's precisely why I'm not dead on my feet," Sakura explained. "It was my mind – it wasn't any effort on my part to be there. But you had to expend a fair amount of energy to keep yourself anchored there, not to mention all the effort it took to try to push Itachi out at the same time..."

"So, what you're saying is...you could have fought him off on your own without me interfering?"

"In the future, probably," Sakura agreed. "But that first attack? No, I don't think I could have fought him off without your help. I was taken off-guard, I wasn't sure how to fight, I didn't even know if it was possible _to_ fight him...believe me, you pulled my ass out of the fire on that one, Ino."

The blonde gave a tired grin, watching as her friend fiddled with her IV, setting up some painkillers so she might be able to sleep.

Tenten watched Sakura talk softly with Ino, occasionally running her hands through the blonde's fringe, until the painkillers began to kick in. Her pain subsiding to tolerable levels, Ino began to fall asleep almost immediately, exhaustion finally taking its toll.

Tenten closed her eyes as well, trying to ignore the mild throbbing that had taken up residence in her skull in favour of getting as much sleep as possible before the hourly nurse came by to wake her up. Something about concussed patients having to be woken regularly so they didn't slip into a coma...

"Tenten?"

Though Sakura's voice was soft, the brunette was still startled by it. She'd have expected Sakura to leave as soon as Ino was settled.

"Yeah?" she murmured, cracking open one eye. "If you're going to try to shine some stupid light in my eyes..."

"Nothing like that," Sakura promised. "I just want to check your ribs."

Tenten's brow furrowed. "Why?"

"Remember when you inhaled one of the wraiths?"

Tenten winced at the memory of having her chest practically explode.

"I see you do," Sakura commented. "Well, I know I healed you, but it was a bit of a rush job – and I still have no idea _how_ I healed you – so I just wanted to check. To make sure I didn't miss anything."

"Wouldn't the other medics have noticed if you missed anything?" Tenten pointed out.

"Humour me, please?"

Tenten shrugged amiably and sat up in the bed, allowing Sakura to poke and prod at her ribs, searching for weaknesses in the bones.

"Okay, it seems to be fine," Sakura murmured, before placing her hands on Tenten's sides, fingers spread. "Now inhale deeply."

Tenten obeyed, and Sakura was relieved to feel no splintering or unnatural movement.

"That's it," she declared, her hands falling away. "Your ribs are perfectly healthy – there's not even any lumps or irregularities on the bone, nothing to indicate it was ever broken. Whatever I did, I did it well!"

When Sakura laughed quietly, Tenten found herself doing the same.

"I wish I could do the same for your head, though," the medic said ruefully.

Tenten waved it off. "You saved my life, I figure that's enough miracles for one day. Concussions suck, but it's not going to kill me."

"True enough. And with a bit of luck, you might be out of this hospital by tomorrow."

Tenten frowned. "What do you mean? I thought my injuries couldn't be healed."

"Couldn't be healed with medical jutsus," Sakura corrected. "That says nothing about the possibility of them healing naturally. Look at it this way, Itachi knocked you unconscious, right? If your body was completely unable to heal that injury, you probably wouldn't have been able to wake up at all. But the fact that you did shows that maybe these injuries can heal on their own. And there's the fact that he didn't directly injure you-"

"Huh?"

"I mean, it wasn't his power, specifically, that injured you. You were concussed when he slammed you into the ground, and Ino's ribs were broken when she hit the earth after she was hurled away...it might be different when he actually uses his power, but for injuries inflicted indirectly...maybe they can heal naturally. Maybe in those cases, Itachi's destructive energy just interferes with chakra-induced healing."

"Sounds kinda far-fetched," Tenten said.

Sakura shrugged. "It's the best we can hope for. And after what's just happened, I think we deserve a bit of good luck, so keep your fingers crossed. If everything goes as we hope, with a few days of taking it easy, you'll be back to training with your boyfriend in no time."

"Boyfriend?" Tenten blinked.

"Yeah – Neji, right?"

Tenten choked on air and saliva. "N-Neji? But he isn't...we're not..."

Sakura tried not to smile. Tenten's fervent denial told her that – in spite of her earlier assumption – the brunette and Neji weren't actually in a relationship. But the tinge of pink across Tenten's cheeks and her stammering told her she wouldn't object to the idea.

"Sorry...I just thought you two were a couple," Sakura said honestly. "You spend so much time together..."

"Training!"

"I always thought _'we're going to train'_, meant _'we're going to find a nice deserted part of the forest to get hot and heavy, don't follow us'_."

Tenten made some sort of strangled squeaking noise, looking mortified.

"Uh...feel free to change the subject..." Sakura offered hesitantly.

Tenten grabbed at the chance. "Lady Tsunade gave me the bare bones of what's going on, but could you flesh it out a little?"

"Sure, what do you want to know?"

"First off, what were those things that attacked us?"

-xxx-

Tenten watched as Sakura's hands curled into fists, sweat beginning to drip from her nose and chin as she panted softly.

Sakura had clarified and explained what she knew of their current situation, and had been refreshingly honest about her ignorance in those matters she knew little about. The conversation had progressed from informative to speculative, and finally to something verging on personal – the sort of talk one would make when initiating a friendship.

Tenten had never had much to do with Sakura before – she'd known her as Tsunade's apprentice, and respected her abilities as a kunoichi, but had never had much personal interaction with her. Still, she supposed that when someone saved your life – twice, if her story was to be believed – it made you want to get to know them.

After their conversation had tailed away, Sakura had sat back down on her hospital bed, nudged the surrounding machines away into corners, and begun to meditate, saying she was trying to work out exactly what Itachi had done and maybe try to undo it somehow. Tenten didn't think the medic actually held out much hope of being able to 'unseal' herself if Tsunade had failed...but Sakura was apparently going to try.

As demonstrated by the obvious evidence of strain written across her face and body. Tenten was startled to realise blood was oozing across Sakura's hand, her fists clenched so tightly her fingernails had torn into her palm.

But just as she was wondering if she should alert Sakura to that fact, the medic tensed, relaxed, then sighed, as though in defeat. Her eyes fluttered open, and seemed to register some surprise at the state of her hands, before she healed the bloody indents with a flicker of chakra.

"How'd it go?" Tenten asked.

Sakura shook her head, remembering plunging into the well that represented her power, and finding that the grate that represented the seal had turned into an impenetrable wall, apparently made of tangled wire. She'd tried to unwind it, tried to let some of her Faerie powers through again...but it had been slow-going, and her efforts very draining...not to mention that each time she interfered with that metaphysical representation of the seal, the symbol on her back began to burn and throb agonisingly.

"It's like I have razor wire tangled around me," she said honestly. "And I'm trying to untangle it blindfolded with my hands tied behind my back. Every time I touch the wire, it hurts, but every time I let go of it, to rest...it just winds back and I have to start from the beginning again."

"That sucks," Tenten said bluntly.

"Doesn't it just?" Sakura smirked bitterly, helping herself to some more sterile-tasting water.

The medic settled herself back on the bed, leaning back and closing her eyes as though preparing to doze off. After seeing how much the battle with the seal exhausted her, Tenten wouldn't be surprised if she needed some sleep. She wondered why Sakura hadn't gone home to rest there – maybe she wanted to stay to look after Ino?

"I really miss when I could draw energy from plants," the medic muttered, half to herself.

"What's it like?" Tenten asked, unable to help herself. "Having all these powers...then suddenly having them taken away?"

Sakura's eyes opened, and she stared at the ceiling as though contemplating something. "It's like being suddenly struck blind, deaf, and mute. There was a whole new world open to me...and now it's gone. I feel cut off...isolated...even though I've lived like this for most of my life, after experiencing something like that and then having it taken away again..."

She trailed off, shook her head, then turned on her side and closed her eyes again, effectively ending their conversation.

-xxx-

"...Sakura...?" came a slurred, hazy voice.

Tenten, who was starting to doze, blinked and turned. Ino was waking up, rubbing sleep from her eyes and yawning widely.

And asking after her friend. When Ino's second call seemed dangerously close to rousing the sleeping Sakura, Tenten intervened.

"She's sleeping, Ino – leave her be."

Ino blinked fuzzily for a few moments, her gaze swimming slowly from Sakura to Tenten and back again, the brunette's words taking several long moments to penetrate the dazed fog of her brain. She scrubbed her hands across her face, seeming to become more aware as she did so, shedding the last of the drugged sleep's cobwebs from her mind.

"She was trying to undo the seal," Tenten explained. "It tired her out."

"Trying to undo the seal..." Ino whispered. "How...?"

"Like I'd know."

"But even Lady Tsunade couldn't-"

"I know. But she said that when she meditates, she can...untangle...the seal somehow. Maybe because she's part-Faerie, maybe because the seal's on her body, I don't know. She said she didn't make much progress...but she could still affect it. Still, it exhausted her, so she decided to go to sleep for a bit."

Ino nodded. She glanced over at Tenten again, and noticed something that had previously escaped her attention, first in the aftermath of Itachi's attempt to take over Sakura's mind, and then in the sleep-muddled moments when she had first awoken.

Tenten blinked as Ino's eyes widened for a moment, before the blonde snorted and giggled. "What?"

"It's just...you look really different with your hair down."

Tenten's hand reflexively rose to her head; she'd barely noticed the fall of brown locks around her shoulders. She winced as her fingers encountered nasty tangles – she'd have to get her hands on a brush sometime and tidy it up. Come to think of it, she remembered a nurse coming by and dropping off a small bag...Tsunade saying something about supply costs being taken out of their paycheck...

Spotting the green bag next to her bed, she leaned over and opened it.

_'Jackpot!'_ she thought triumphantly.

The bag contained the necessary toiletries for a stay in the hospital. Brushes, soap, toothbrush...everything she'd need. Some of the items were still encased in plastic wrapping, and Tenten guessed that the money taken from their paycheck Tsunade had referred to had paid for some errand boy buying these from a nearby store.

"Where'd you get that?" Ino asked as Tenten began to drag the brush through her hair, wincing as it pulled on her still-tender scalp.

"The bag," Tenten nodded vaguely at it. "You've got one, too – I think Lady Tsunade sent someone to get some things for us. But she took the cost of the items out of our paycheck, so-"

The rest of Tenten's words were cut off when the door flew open and a small avalanche of people poured into the room. Naruto and Lee could always fill a room with the force of their personalities, and when accompanied by Shikamaru, Chouji, Neji and Hinata...the room suddenly seemed several sizes too small.

Tenten's skull began to pound like a drum as half a dozen people each asked a question at the same time, some at a volume several decibel levels above what was considered appropriate for a hospital room.

"_Quiet!_" Ino shrieked above the general roar, then cringed as pain stabbed from her ribs once more.

At her loud, authoritative tone, silence fell almost instantly. Lee, Hinata and Naruto were staring at her with round eyes, shocked that such a booming voice could have emerged from the slender blonde's throat. Shikamaru and Chouji, who were well-used to the volume Ino could reach when necessity demanded it, simply blinked at her. Neji seemed about to speak again, if only to prove he wasn't intimidated by her, but Ino cut him off.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but Sakura is sleeping," Ino snapped, but as she spoke, the medic groaned dazedly and sat up in the bed. "Well, she _was_ sleeping. She was trying to fight the sealing somehow, it exhausted her, and she was trying to get some rest. So do not bombard her with questions, shriek in her ear, or otherwise conspire to exhaust her further, got it?"

Lee and Naruto nodded like a couple of wobble-headed dolls. Hinata's lips twitched as she watched them, as though she were fighting the urge to laugh. Sakura gave Ino a grateful smile.

"In addition, Tenten has a particularly nasty concussion, so don't talk too loudly," Ino continued, nodding at the brunette. Tenten had abandoned her brushing in favour of clutching her hands to her throbbing head, the brush still attached to her hair, enmeshed in the tangles she'd been trying to work out.

"You okay there?" Ino asked softly.

"Urgh..." Tenten groaned, waiting for the steel bar that was ricocheting around her skull to slow down.

There was an odd pulling sensation on her scalp, and as one hand automatically wandered along her hair, checking that the dark brown locks weren't caught on anything, she encountered the smooth wooden handle of the brush. With some dark mutterings – why was her hair so damned thick? – she yanked it out and began to rip the brush through the tangled strands once more in a flurry of impatience.

Large, calloused hands suddenly enclosed hers, stilling her movements. Tenten jumped; she'd been so distracted by her renewed headache and by her frustration with her disobedient hair that she'd failed to notice anyone approaching.

"You'll hurt yourself like that," Neji admonished quietly, plucking the brush from her grasp and gathering her hair in his hand gently as he moved so he was positioned behind her.

Tenten was about to ask him what he was doing, when she became aware of a gentle tug on her hair. It came again, in an easy, repetitive motion that was strangely soothing to her aching head.

It took several seconds for her to realise that Neji was brushing her hair.

Feeling rather touched by the gesture, Tenten held her head as still as she could, allowing him to progress gently from the ends of her hair upwards. As the strokes of the brush grew longer, Neji's fingers began to follow every stroke, the back of his hand curving against the nape of her neck as his fingers dragged through her dark locks.

In spite of herself, Tenten found her eyes sliding closed in bliss, tuning out the sounds of Ino and Sakura talking to the others in favour of concentrating on the slow, somehow comforting rhythm of the brush running through her hair, gently working the tangles free, and the soft rasp of Neji's fingertips against her hair and scalp.

"Be gentle and patient," Neji murmured. "Coax the tangles out, don't rip them."

Tenten wanted to retort that she knew full well how to brush her hair, thank you – it was merely her anger and impatience that had made her tear the brush through the tangles – but this was feeling too good to protest or say anything that might make him stop. If she were a cat, Tenten was sure she would be purring.

Neji could admit to a large amount of selfish enjoyment in his self-appointed task. Now mostly free of tangles, Tenten's hair slipped through his fingers like thick silk, and the soft noises of approval and pleasure she was making as his hands ran along her scalp were making him feel strangely warm inside.

If Neji were being completely honest with himself, there was also a certain amount of guilty pleasure in the simple contact. Outside of training and missions, excuses for physical contact with Tenten were few and far between, so he was enjoying this unexpected opportunity.

Tenten's dazed, blissful expression made him wonder if she was enjoying the contact, too. But no, she was probably just glad for the relief it provided from her headache.

He couldn't help glancing at her back, watching the subtle rise and fall of her ribcage as she breathed. According to the Hokage – relating Ino's account – during the battle with the wraiths, those same ribs had snapped like toothpicks and been forced from the skin when her lungs burst. He found himself watching her for flinches or tightening muscles, any indication that her ribs still pained her...

"Are you alright?" Neji wasn't actually aware he'd voiced the query until Tenten half-turned in puzzlement. "Your ribs," he elaborated. "Do they hurt?"

"Not anymore," she grinned. "Sakura fixed me up."

He nodded. "Lady Tsunade told us she couldn't heal your concussion?"

Tenten reflected that only she, Hinata, and maybe Lee could have interpreted that for what it was – a further, more subtle probing into her current state.

"Don't worry about the concussion – Sakura has this theory that my concussion and Ino's ribs can heal naturally." Tenten raised her voice – just a little – to call across the room, "Right Sakura?"

The pink-haired medic blinked, distracted from her conversation with Naruto, Hinata and Lee. "What?"

"You said that our injuries might be able to heal naturally, right?"

"Oh, yeah," Sakura nodded. "If luck's on our side."

"Well, judging by the events of the past few hours, I think luck owes us," Ino grumbled.

There was a short silence as everyone absorbed that comment and all it implied. Sakura would bet that the majority of those present hadn't really processed the idea of Itachi as a god yet. She didn't think she had herself. The brain had a funny way of distancing itself from things that it found especially horrible or terrifying – a coping mechanism of sorts, to allow it to continue to function without outright panicking.

"So...how's Sasuke taking it?" Sakura asked.

Naruto frowned. "The jerk didn't say a word – just took off after Granny Tsunade finished telling us what had happened. He didn't even come to see you! Just walked away looking all moody and grouchy..."

"He was very quiet, Sakura...but he looked..." Hinata seemed to search for a way to describe it. "...conflicted..."

Sakura sighed. Somehow, she wasn't surprised.

"Do not let your teammate's negative attitude diminish your youthful vigour," Lee encouraged. "Concentrate on resting and replenishing your energy!"

Sakura smiled. Lee was obviously trying to tone it down for her sake, but his exuberance was leaking into his speech. The taijutsu specialist was simply too...bouncy...to be contained for long.

Her smile faded as she began to wonder what Tsunade was doing. How could she prepare for being attacked by a god? She would probably be sending messages to their allied countries, warning them, perhaps asking for reinforcement...but then what? Sakura supposed they could strengthen the walls or something, but how could they prepare for outright war with a being even the denizens of the Otherworld would have trouble dealing with?

And suddenly, Sakura realised she could do something to help.

"The Otherworld!" she yelled jubilantly, bolting from her bed and sending Naruto skittering backwards to avoid colliding with her.

Tenten winced at her shout, and Neji sent one of his infamous, stone-eyed glares in the medic's direction. Sakura tossed a quick apology over her shoulder as she began pulling on the shoes that had been tucked under her bed.

"Wait a minute, Sakura!" Ino interjected from her bed. "What are you doing?"

"What does the Otherworld have to do with anything?" Lee asked.

"Wasn't that the place where you said Sakura's Mum came from, Ino?" Chouji remarked offhandedly. "The place with all the Faerie?"

"Skwall is a god, right?" Sakura said. "Elseworld is his realm, right?"

"Yeah..." Naruto said slowly. "So?"

Sakura opened her mouth to explain, but – to her surprise – Shikamaru did so instead. "So, since Elseworld is Skwall's realm, and Otherworld is Haevyn's realm, and as Haevyn and Skwall often struggle with each other for dominance, the Faerie creatures might know how to fight him."

"Exactly," Sakura nodded, already halfway out the door. She didn't seem to care that her current clothing still sported the neat hole that Itachi had burned in it to access her seal.

"Wait!" Lee blurted, rising from his chair. "I shall accompany you-"

"Thanks very much for the offer, Lee, but I think it's best if I talk with my Mum alone."

And then Sakura was gone.

"How could Mrs. Haruno help?" Ino wondered into the sudden silence. "I mean, she's probably tough and all, but I don't think she'd be that much more powerful than Sakura..."

Shikamaru shrugged. "Maybe she can't do anything herself, but she_can_ alert the rest of the Otherworld that Skwall's returned."

"And they'll help us?" Chouji asked.

"I guess..." Ino murmured. "I mean, this is Skwall we're talking about...they have to help us..."

"I'm sure they'll help," Naruto said confidently. "They can't all be jerks, right? Sakura did say their boss, what's-his-name..."

"The Faerie Lord, Naruto," Hinata reminded.

"Yeah, him – Sakura did say that he always seemed to like her. And he can make the others help, right? So, they'll help." He nodded decisively.

"They better," Tenten muttered from across the room.

"And what did I hear about our injuries healing naturally?" Ino asked, turning to the brunette woman.

Tenten explained Sakura's theory.

"So, if that's true, your concussion should be okay by tomorrow?"

"Pretty much," Tenten nodded. "I feel sorry for you, though – even if the healing naturally thing is true, you'll still have to stay in the hospital for a while, and wear a brace for weeks after that..."

"I know!" Ino groaned. "Can you imagine more time in this room – I'm going to die of boredom within two days!"

"You could play boardgames!" Lee suggested helpfully. "I hear your teammate is particularly skilled at chess and shogi."

Lee was completely bewildered as to why his comment caused Shikamaru to smirk and Ino to scowl.

"Ino sucks at chess," Chouji said. "If some bishop goes for her king, she'd rather wipe him off the board than figure out how to outsmart him. She's just too hot-headed."

"I prefer impulsive..." Ino muttered.

"Hot-headed is probably more accurate," Shikamaru commented – at times, riling Ino was just too much fun to pass up.

Ino glared. "If I wasn't laid up with three broken ribs-"

"You mustn't fight!" Lee protested, interrupting Ino's threat. "You are still injured, still delicate-"

"I'm not fine china," the blonde snapped.

Tenten found her lips twitching towards a smile as she watched her teammate try to convince Ino he had meant no slight on her physical fortitude or constitution, with Shikamaru and Chouji looking on and seemingly trying not to laugh. Naruto, however, was making no effort to conceal his snickering.

"You'd think that by now, he'd have learned when to leave well enough alone," Neji muttered from behind her.

"Lee is...Lee," Tenten said, unable to think of any other way to explain it.

She heard the slight huff that signaled Neji's amusement – Tenten figured it was his way of laughing. With the next pass of the brush, she noted that Neji had combed all the way through her hair – the strokes were beginning at the line of her fringe. She reached back, and her fingers encountered the soft, smooth glide of neatened hair instead of the catch and pull of snarls and tangles.

"Nice job," she complimented as he set the brush down. "Thanks."

"My pleasure," Neji said in a low voice.

Surprised by rough, almost husky tone his voice had taken, Tenten turned, her eyes making contact with his. She almost jumped, startled at the way his usually unreadable eyes seemed to be looking at her with something close to hunger.

"Neji?"

He blinked, and it was gone, the frozen, breathless moment evaporating. It vanished so quickly and so completely Tenten wondered if she'd imagined it; after all, she _had_ hit her head rather hard...

"Hey, Tenten," Ino suddenly called, interrupting the brunette's musings. "When do you get out of here?"

"About a day or two," Tenten answered absently, still staring at Neji. He, on the other hand, seemed to be very deliberately not looking at her. "If Sakura's theory holds."

She didn't want to think about what would happen if it didn't.

"Have faith in your strength, Tenten!" Lee encouraged. "You will be on your feet and training again in no time! You, too, Ino!"

"She's got a concussion, I've got three broken ribs. She's going to be on her feet a lot faster than me," Ino grumped.

"Ah, cheer up, Ino," Shikamaru drawled, patting her arm companionably. He would have patted her shoulder, but he wasn't quite sure about the location of the broken ribs, and didn't want to take the risk it might hurt her. "I'm sure they'll let you out soon – after all, you're bound to drive all the medics crazy with your shouting and complaints; pretty soon they'll stick you in a brace and send you home just to be rid of you."

"You think?" Ino chirped, the insult momentarily ignored in her delight at the prospect of being discharged. "Hey, wait, are you implying that I drive people crazy?"

"Frankly, I think it's a miracle Shikamaru and I have survived this long," Chouji snickered.

Shikamaru smirked as Ino glared at Chouji, pelting him with a variety of creative threats, all of which began with the phrase 'when I get out of here'. He couldn't help the small bubble of mirth that rose in his chest – only Ino could have the energy to promise pain and death only minutes after being doped to her eyeballs. On a deeper level, he also felt relieved her encounter with Itachi hadn't damaged her indomitable spirit.

As the conversation drifted along without her, Tenten didn't stop sneaking glances at Neji from under her eyelids. She watched him closely all throughout the rest of the visit, but she never saw that look again.

-xxx-

"...and that's when I came out here," Sakura finished.

After leaving the hospital, she had run all the way to the Sacred Sakura – the branches of which she was now perched in like an oversized bird – and blurted out everything that had happened; the fight with the wraiths, the appearance of Itachi/Skwall, the re-sealing...everything.

"I won't be able to hear you if you talk to me," Sakura sighed, running a hand along the bark of the branch she was sitting on. "But I figure, if you know this...maybe you can help drum up a Faerie army or something. I mean, since it's Skwall...the Faerie will want to help, right?"

No response. Sakura knew she couldn't really expect any, but the silence still made her stomach tighten and writhe. She patted the bough nervously, the gesture more of an outlet for her anxiety than an attempt to reassure her mother.

Her hand froze in mid-caress as she felt the bough shift underneath her. The only time the tree ever moved like this was when Mikiko was about to emerge...

But her mother didn't appear in a swirl of emerald-hued smoke – instead, the branch curved, as limber as a snake, and touched her forehead.

Images, voices, and knowledge rushed into her head as though someone had connected a hose to it and turned the tap on full blast. While this...episode...didn't feel as invasive or terrifying as when Itachi had done it, the sheer shock of having knowledge shoved into her mind for the second time that day sent her reeling backwards, tumbling from the branch in a whirl of limbs, flapping cloth and flying pink hair.

Kunoichi reflexes allowed her to land without hurting herself, but for several minutes she didn't dare to move, the world spinning around her like a merry-go-round as her brain struggled to process the deluge of information it had just been fed.

"Damn!" she said eventually, her voice breathless. "Sorry for the language, Mum, but can all Faerie do that? It's kinda freaky..."

She took a few unsteady steps towards the Sacred Sakura and lay her hands on the trunk. "I know I cut it kinda short...that whole falling out of the tree thing...so is there anything else?"

No movement. Sakura took that as a 'no'. She slid to the ground, her eyes closing as she fought to make sense of all she had just 'learned'.

Apparently Elseworld's creatures were referred to collectively as 'Daemons'. Unlike the Faerie, most of them were rather unintelligent, and were more like super-powered animals than anything approximating a sentient being.

_'Probably makes them easier to control,'_ Sakura thought ruefully. _'Soldiers are good, yes, but trained dogs don't questions orders.'_

That made sense. But it was the information that had followed it that had Sakura rather confused.

From what she understood, centuries ago, when human and Faerie/Daemon interaction was almost commonplace, sometimes when a human did them a service or became an ally, they gave them a gift. Sometimes it was wealth, sometimes it was land...but in that ancient, feudal society, what was truly valued was power.

The bloodline abilities and family jutsus had their origins in Faerie/Daemon blessings. Blessings bestowed by grateful Faerie, or the more intelligent Daemons that saw it as erasing a debt, blessings that granted power and abilities that would be passed on to the rest of their family all throughout the centuries, to ensure their offspring remained as powerful as they.

A unicorn blessed a man named Hyuuga with the ability to see all around him, and the power to see his enemies' weak points, no matter how well they were hidden.

Pixies were tiny Faerie creatures who, in Sakura's opinion, looked like they had been the inspiration for traditional, storybook fairies, and lived side by side with beetles and butterflies. When a woman named Aburame formed a temporary alliance with them, she was gifted with a similar ability to command insects.

Wargs were probably the origins of werewolf tales; they were humanoid creatures who could shapechange into various canines, and were almost always accompanied by wolves or dogs. When a young girl befriended one of young wargs, she was presented with one of their Faerie-intelligent dogs as a gift, and taught to communicate with it. She later married into the Inuzuka family, and began Kiba's clan.

But the others...their inherited abilities originated from the Elseworld...and from Daemons.

Blightbringer acted as Skwall's lieutenant. He appeared as a diseased human, festering and rotting – his presence could breathe disease into the land, and his touch could literally tear the soul from people's bodies, killing them instantly without leaving any trace they'd been harmed.

Upon reflection, Sakura decided he was probably the one who had killed the Akatsuki.

Blightbringer had taught the art of soul/mind removal and projection to a man with the name Yamanaka.

Shades were inky, insubstantial beings composed purely of shadow. Nearby shadows could be animated by the strength of their will alone. When one shade was in debt to a human, he taught the man the art of manipulating his own shadow to absolve the debt. The man passed it on to his own daughter, who later married into the Nara family.

Slinkers were shapeshifters, and taught the art of altering their body to a family with the name Akimichi. While the nuances of the jutsu became lost over the years, the members of Chouji's clan still retained the ability to alter their size.

And the Uchiha clan...

The Uchiha clan began with a gift from Skwall himself to a member of the Hyuuga Branch house, warping the powers of the Byakugan. With his new ability, the man split from the Hyuuga clan and founded his own, a clan that soon became one of the most prosperous in Konoha...but a clan with a tendency to value power above all else.

Apparently, some of the Faerie had speculated on why Skwall had given a human such a gift, nervous it might be another bid for dominance...but as years passed, and nothing ill befell the Otherworld or Haevyn, their worry had died. And now, it seemed their fears were justified. It had been another move for dominance...a move possibly hundreds of years in the making.

That was a chilling thought. Had the entire point and purpose of the Uchiha clan been to create Itachi – or rather, someone like Itachi, someone who would sacrifice everything for power?

Sakura folded her arms around her bent knees, pressing her head down into the cradle her limbs provided. The seal was throbbing again, as though Itachi hadn't appreciated her contact with Faerie magic. She took deep, even breaths, trying to concentrate on something else, as the pain gradually intensified. Aware that she might soon have to fight off another takeover attempt, Sakura's muscles began to tense automatically...

"Sakura?"

The medic started, whipping her head up to confront the speaker.

Sasuke wasn't sure why he'd called to gain her attention, or why he'd felt the need to see her. After Tsunade's briefing, he'd found himself wandering the village streets restlessly, wondering what he was supposed to do, how he was supposed to _feel_, now that his brother had apparently returned from the dead as a god. Now that he had learned his grandiose plans of revenge had simply played into Itachi's hands.

He'd been expecting to feel a renewal of the furious hatred that consumed him for most of his life, a resurgence of the bitter thirst for vengeance he'd followed so blindly.

Instead, he'd found himself feeling something closer to apathy.

It was startling, to say the least; Sasuke had been so accustomed to feeling some extreme of emotion whenever he thought of Itachi – be it hate or a terrible, sinking sensation of betrayal – that it was quite a shock to feel nothing but the anxious frustration a shinobi felt when he learned that the approaching enemy was much stronger than him. He had the urge to go and smash his head against a brick wall or two just to see if it somehow unstuck the bizarre mental block he seemed to have developed.

Maybe it was because that – even if Itachi had returned from the dead – he had still killed him. He had still fulfilled his goal, and spent the better part of a year attempting to move past it and learn to live again.

Or maybe it was simply that he was tired of chasing Itachi. Maybe he just couldn't be bothered anymore.

Sasuke knew he would probably feel differently when he actually saw Itachi, but for now...it was as though he knew better. He'd been down that road, and he knew it didn't lead to satisfaction or happiness.

_'Looks like someone's finally grown up.'_

Sometimes, that snarky voice in his head was something Sasuke wished he could kill.

He had then found himself wondering what Tsunade could do now that they were facing the prospect of war with a god. The fact that Itachi had let the three kunoichis go told them how little he thought of Konoha's attempts to stop him – he didn't even think they'd be an impediment, let alone an actual threat. But Sakura had managed to hurt him, and he'd actively taken steps to prevent her using her Faerie abilities...did that mean he felt threatened by her? By Faerie magic?

Thinking of Sakura had prompted his feet to turn towards the hospital, where Naruto had told him she'd gone to talk to her mother. Feeling somehow compelled to see her, to make sure she was alright, he had gone to the Sacred Sakura, to find the half-Faerie crouched in front of it, head hidden by bent legs and folded arms, body hunched.

When he called her name, she looked up, and Sasuke could see she was in pain. The tightness of the muscles around her lips and eyes, the slight flare of her nostrils, the set of her brows...they all spoke of someone who was in a great deal of pain and trying not to show it. Her eyes lit with recognition, she tried to smile...and the effort in it made something wrench sharply in his chest.

"Are you alright?" he found his mouth asking, quite without his brain's permission.

When she spoke, her voice was hoarse, as though she were trying not to cry out. "Itachi is doing something to the seal...I don't think he's trying to take over, he's just...hurting me."

There was extraordinarily little self-pity in her voice. As though Itachi's deliberate torture was nothing to feel sorry about – it was simply the way things had turned out.

Sakura broke off, biting her lip and shutting her eyes, her throat tightening as a scream fought to emerge. Her breath hitched, and her fingers dug into the ground, as though she were in danger of sliding down a cliff face.

Sasuke knelt down beside her, one hand half-raised, hovering in mid-air. He wanted to do something, but at the same time knew there probably wasn't anything he could do to help her.

Sasuke had thought he was long beyond the childish concepts of 'fair play' and karmic retribution and the like...but looking at Sakura, hunched into a small, protective ball, her teeth gritted against the agony that was undoubtedly throbbing through her body, there was only one thought predominant in his mind.

_'She doesn't deserve this.'_

Almost without his permission, Sasuke's eyes flickered towards her back, where the seal would be...and he found himself staring. There was a clean hole through Sakura's clothes, the edges blackened and singed as though something had burnt the material away. And through it, he could see the seal.

Tsunade had told them Ino said it had changed, but there was difference between knowing it as an abstract concept, and seeing it with your own eyes. Instead of looking like an intricate tattoo, a mark of pride in her heritage, it now seemed a malicious, parasitic invader.

And while Sasuke was fairly certain Tsunade had mentioned the seal had turned black, it wasn't now. Instead, it was a strange combination of red and orange, the hues glowing and shifting like the seal was drawn in red hot lava. He remembered watching the spread of his own cursed seal down his arm and leg during the Chunin exams, and this certainly looked similar. Except that the seal wasn't spreading or attempting to expand. It wasn't trying to consume her – at least, not now. Sakura had been right; this time, Itachi's sole intention was to inflict agony.

Sasuke felt as though his thirst for vengeance against Itachi might soon be renewed.

Suddenly, as though some great burden had been lifted from her shoulders, Sakura sighed and relaxed, her limbs unfolding from their tight curl. The seal's glow died, like cooling lava, returning to its jet black tint.

"It's over," she told him, answering the unspoken question in his eyes.

Sakura's eyes skimmed Sasuke's features, wondering how he was dealing with the news of Itachi's resurrection. Strangely, he didn't appear to be scowling, brooding, or otherwise closing himself off and dealing with it in his usual self-destructive fashion. She wondered if Sasuke had done that bit of growing-up on his own, or if Naruto had smashed it into him. Given Naruto's comments at the hospital, the latter didn't seem likely, and Sasuke didn't seem to be sporting any fresh bruises...

"Where's your father?" Sasuke asked roughly. He may not have much experience as far as affectionate, loving families went, but he was pretty sure they supported each other in times of crisis.

"On a mission," Sakura said, cautiously stretching muscles that had locked tight in pain. "We're rarely home at the same time – often he comes back on the very day I have to leave. I think it's probably why I haven't bothered to move out yet; I've pretty much got the house to myself anyway..."

Sakura stared at Sasuke as he nodded silently, wondering what was going through his head. He seemed to be dealing with their current situation remarkably well, and as yet, there were no hints of anger or hatred stirring beneath the surface...maybe she wasn't looking hard enough...?

Sasuke tried not to squirm as Sakura's eyes took on that familiar, gently scrutinizing look. He'd long ago come to the conclusion that every member of the erstwhile Team 7 had at least one disconcerting, and at times annoying, attribute. Kakashi's was his lack of punctuality and his perpetually nonchalant air. Naruto's was his permanent cheeriness. And Sakura...

Sakura's disconcerting attribute was her unnerving ability to look at you, and give the impression she was somehow looking at your soul. As though she were gazing past your flesh and blood, and dwelling instead on the cracks and contours, the secret wishes and hidden longings of your very being.

What Sasuke found most irritating about this was the fact that he always found himself illogically hoping that she liked what she saw. That she saw something good in him. He knew such a desire was foolish, to say the least – considering the way he'd spent his life, he doubted there was much left of his soul now, let alone anything good – but it was there, nevertheless.

"Are you okay?" she asked eventually. "With...with everything that's happening...?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I'm fine."

Sakura's gaze sharpened, like a kunai blade against a whetstone. "Do you really mean that, or are you just trying to humour me?"

"I mean it," he replied bluntly. He thought about leaving it at that, but something made him go on, "It's like I'm...tired...of it..."

Sakura nodded. He didn't need to elaborate. And it made sense, in a weird sort of way. The mind had a limit on how much it could take, how long it could dwell on one particular goal or emotion. Unless you were clinically depressed, with a physical change in the chemical composition of the brain, the mind couldn't remain in one state for long. When he killed Itachi, his mind had probably closed that chapter of his life, and now it was in no hurry to open it again, to revert back to that self-destructive way of thinking.

_'Probably his brain protecting him from himself,'_ she thought, with a sharp dash of humour. She never would have thought Sasuke, of all people, could have taken the news of Itachi's resurrection so calmly and rationally.

So Sakura offered Sasuke a smile, and a comforting hand on his shoulder. She was surprised when he let the hand remain there – Sasuke had always been a bit touchy about physical contact, and she'd expected him to shrug it off almost immediately. But not only did he let the contact continue, his head turned to her, and there was a strange look in his eyes, almost identical to the expression he'd worn that day at the ramen stand, when she'd asked him if he was considering anyone to help in his goal of reviving the Uchiha clan.

_'Come to think of it, he's been acting a little unusual lately,'_ Sakura mused. _'He's been...nicer...for starters...almost sweet, by his standards...maybe he...'_

_'No, no, NO!'_ Sakura stamped on that thought, rolled it up, hurled it into the deepest, darkest corner of her mind, and battened down the hatch. She was _not_ going down that road again – she was _not_ setting herself up for more heartache.

"Hey, Sakura!"

Sakura had never been more grateful for Naruto's interruptions.

Sasuke jerked, almost as though he'd been caught in some forbidden act, and Sakura's hand slid from his shoulder.

"Did your Mum have anything to say?" Naruto asked.

"Well, not so much to _say_..." Sakura admitted. "With my powers gone, I couldn't hear her-"

Naruto interrupted, seeming horrified, "_All_ your powers are gone?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the blonde's blatant insensitivity. "Didn't the Hokage just tell us that, idiot?"

"Well, yeah...but I just thought she meant the things with plants growing and moving and stuff. I didn't know Sakura couldn't even hear plants anymore..."

"It's just like before my seal began to weaken," Sakura told him. "See, watch this..."

She bit into her thumb as though about to perform a summoning spell and flicked the blood across the grass. Nothing happened – the droplets simply congealed on the green blades.

"The reaction to my blood – you know, the whole making plants grow – was kinda involuntary," Sakura explained. "And now, even that's gone."

Naruto frowned. "About the seal..."

Sakura waited patiently when he paused, uncharacteristically hesitant. She sensed that he'd probably wanted to ask her this in the hospital, but maybe hadn't wanted to in front of so many people.

"Is it...are you...what does it feel like when he tries to take over?"

"Painful as hell," Sakura said bluntly.

"So it's really bad?"

"Imagine getting a bath in electrified battery acid while red-hot needles are flaying every one of your nerves...and you'd be close."

Naruto frowned again, and rubbed an encouraging hand up and down her back.

Sasuke scowled, remembering what Tsunade had told them about the seal. The fact that Itachi could cause Sakura pain at will was certainly something to be furious about, but what truly worried him was what Tsunade had mentioned – what would it do to Sakura to have prolonged contact with Itachi's mind? Could it warp her somehow? Could what Itachi was taint what Sakura was?

"So if you couldn't hear your Mum, why did you want to talk to her?" Naruto inquired.

"I figured she can tell the Faerie Lord, and he can rustle up some sort of army to help us. After all, this is Skwall we're talking about here – I'm sure they'll be eager to help us. And then Mum did this...thing...where she shoved a whole lot of information into my head – kinda like Itachi, really – so I should probably go talk to Lady Tsunade again..."

"We'll come with you!" Naruto proclaimed, leaping to his feet.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and wondered where Naruto had picked up the habit of collectively volunteering them both without consulting him.

But in this case, he found he didn't mind.

"So, where's Hinata?" Sakura asked as they set off.

"Oh, Granny's got her going over the wall, something about the Byakugan checking for weak spots or something-"

Sakura smiled, but was only half-listening. Her mind was still occupied with the concept of Faerie/Daemon blessings and teachings being responsible for her friends' bloodline abilities and family jutsus. Especially that tidbit about Skwall being responsible for the Uchiha clan...

Had Skwall been planning something like this for centuries? Aligning his pawns like a chessmaster, patiently building and honing his tools, just waiting for the perfect moment to make his move?

And if so...what about Haevyn? Surely she must have been aware of what Skwall was doing, must have been working on some sort of counter-strategy?

What was Haevyn's plan?


	10. Hatchling

**Chapter 10**

**Hatchling**

Sakura's conversation with Tsunade was as short as she could make it while still imparting all the necessary details. She told the Hokage what her mother had imparted to her, and gave her a list of the Daemons they could expect to face in the coming weeks.

Blightbringer, the slinkers, and the shades were the intelligent races, (fourtunately, there was only one of Blightbringer and the slinkers and shades were relatively few in number) but there were also a few who were decidedly unintelligent.

The wraiths were possibly the most numerous race in Elseworld. As Sakura, Ino and Tenten discovered, they could become insubstantial in a moment, which was a significant disadvantage as they could only be killed while in their solid form. Chakra could harm them in any form, but while in their gaseous state their molecules could simply shift and rearrange to nullify any damage. So, in order to kill them, lethal force had to be inflicted before the wraith changed state.

Sakura had seen how quickly they could dissolve into smoke, and unfortunately, she wasn't very confident that could be done.

Dragons looked as the storybooks described them; the wings, the claws, the scales and tail...except they weren't nearly as colourful as the stories would have you believe. Instead of the vibrant blue and red and gold that adorned so many paintings and picture books, they were a smoky grey with pale underbellies, and the males sported a black crest at the back of their skull. They were designed as the main body of Skwall's army behind his wraiths, and as such they matured very quickly, and had a natural lifespan comparable to that of a household dog. They didn't nest; instead the young were carried in the female's pouch until they were large enough to become independent, more like marsupials than reptiles.

And while the books had them breathing fire, Mikiko had 'told' Sakura that while it did emit from their mouths and looked like black flames, it certainly wasn't fire. When they hit something with their black breath, it would simply fall apart at the seams, as though they were spitting concentrated destruction (no matter how strange that sounded). They were also one of the more unintelligent races.

Stormseeker was the exception. Far stronger and more intelligent than those of his kind, he was the dragon who had tried to free Skwall all those years ago, the dragon the Faerie had battled, and the reason Mikiko had been trapped in a human form. Apparently, no one in the Faerie really knew why or how Stormseeker had become so intelligent and powerful, but it was the general consensus that it was given to him by Skwall so he could make another play for dominance.

To Sakura, that didn't seem to make much sense. Skwall's plan involving the Uchiha clan would have been well underway by then, so why suddenly abandon it to bet it all on a dragon? Still, she had reasoned that perhaps Skwall didn't intend to rise using Stormseeker – perhaps the gift of intelligence and strength simply ensured he had another lieutenant besides Blightbringer when he rose.

Harpies were another that had come straight from the storybook, at least, their true forms did. They could transform themselves into either ravens or impossibly beautiful women, but their true form was a hideous merging of both; a woman's head and torso with a birds legs and wings. The entire race consisted solely of females, and as such they sought males of human or Otherworldly origin to copulate with, and then devour afterwards. The sound of their voice could hypnotise any male who heard it, rendering them completely defenseless and utterly obedient to the harpy's every whim. Harpies didn't talk, so no one was precisely sure how these commands were communicated, but the Daemons obviously found a way.

If you were female, the harpy's voice wouldn't have any power over you, and so Tsunade's instructions were that no male was to engage in battle with a harpy, because no matter how powerful you were, a harpy's hypnosis was not something to be chanced.

So in some ways, they were lucky it only worked on males.

Satyrs were the other side of the coin. Like harpies, their entire race was only one gender, but a satyr was always male. And like harpies preyed on men, so satyrs preyed on women. Their appearance seemed part-man, part-bull, like the mythical minotaur; their torso and arms were that of a man, but their legs were a bull's, down to the cloven hooves. Their head was that of a bull, and they sported tails at the end of their spines. They seemed to lack the harpies' finesse – they couldn't change their form, and they didn't bother with hypnosis. Instead, their touch could paralyse a female, and leave her body limp and unable to move for several hours. And unlike the harpies, if the victim survived their abuse, they weren't killed afterwards.

At first, Sakura had wondered why, if these stories were true, there hadn't been any half-Daemons to date. But then the knowledge had risen from her mind, as though she'd always known it.

Satyrs were sterile, as harpies were. No offspring could ever come from the rapes committed by either species. Sakura had briefly wondered how they could replenish their numbers if they were incapable of reproduction, but soon decided it was something she was probably happier not knowing.

The battle plan with satyrs was much the same as the one concerning harpies, save in reverse. Males were allowed to fight satyrs, females weren't.

While Sakura didn't much like the idea of screaming for a man to help her like some useless damsel in distress, if it stopped her getting raped by a bull-man, she supposed she could do it.

She'd also informed Tsunade that they could expect attacks by these creatures at some time in the near future. Skwall found it difficult to appear in the human realm unless his creatures had already dominated wherever he was going to be. Skwall's world was Elseworld, and it was difficult to leave it – he'd only managed to appear and snatch her, Ino and Tenten because the area was already crawling with his wraiths; there was a nice, comfortable aura of destruction for him to slide into. The fact that Itachi was dead only added to the discomfort; it wasn't easy for a dead soul to reappear in the mortal realm.

Sakura relayed all of that to Tsunade, who would relay it to the other ninjas in turn, then she went back home for some well-earned rest.

-xxx-

"But what's he doing?" Mikiko asked. "He never attacked the mortal world before...never. Skwall always attacked the Otherworld first, so why now...?"

Cohen – the Faerie Lord – had the distinct impression that Mikiko's questions were more to cover her own anxiety than actual queries she wanted answered.

"Will the rest of the Faerie go to war if Skwall's attacking the mortal world?"

"In all honestly, I don't believe so," Cohen said gravely. "Skwall has always thrown himself at the Otherworld first – they won't believe that this isn't a false alarm. You and I may know better, but..."

He shrugged, and just for a moment, Mikiko felt a prickle of rage at her people. Rage that they were so willing to shut themselves off from the human realm, rage that they were so desperate to believe that Skwall was finally gone for good they would close their eyes and say it was lie even if he stared them in the face, rage that for all Cohen's power and hold on his people, he could not order them to war.

Only Haevyn could order the Faerie to arms, and she was gone. Another thought that sent a bolt of anger through Mikiko, this time tinged with fear. Fury at the goddess' abandonment of her people just twelve years before they faced disaster mixed with fear at what Skwall could do if Haevyn were not there to check him. While the Faerie might be able to do battle with the Daemons, who could do battle with Skwall if not Haevyn?

"What do we do?" Mikiko asked at last, sounding defeated.

"What we can," Cohen sighed. "We'll try to persuade the Faerie to go to arms, probably without success, but we'll try."

Mikiko nodded desolately. She didn't have the power needed to appear in the human realm a second time this year – not unless she were backed by the other Faerie – and to sit here, safe and helpless while her daughter wrestled against a god almost made her physically sick with terror.

-xxx-

When Sakura had told Tsunade of the Daemons and warned that they could attack soon, the medic had expected 'soon' to mean 'in a few days'. Apparently 'soon' meant that very day, as after only an hour or two of snatched sleep, she was roused from her bed by an echoing explosion that told her the village was under attack, and the battle was taking place very near her house.

Sakura did what any trained ninja would. She disregarded her own (rather exhausted) state, seized her weapons, strapped the necessary pouches of equipment to her body, leapt out her bedroom window and ran towards the distinctive noises of battle already joined. She found herself wondering exactly what was attacking them, and her answer came in the black, smoky forms that were swarming across the north wall, undeterred by the explosive tags that were going off around them.

Wraiths!

_'Of course, we _would_ get attacked by the one species of Daemon we're still not sure how to fight,'_ Sakura thought bitterly. _'Chakra hurts them, yeah, but if we have to kill them in their solid form...'_

She threw a kunai at a wraith who seemed intent on stabbing Hinata in the back. Unlikely to succeed, given the the Hyuuga's bloodline ability and speed, but Sakura had to enter the fight somehow. The wraith turned to smoke, and Sakura watched with no real surprise as the blade whizzed through it and embedded itself into a nearby wall.

And then the wraiths realised there was someone else to fight and fell on her like a wave. Sakura pumped chakra into her hands and began lashing out left and right as though she were in some sort of free-for-all boxing match. The chakra worked to keep them from overwhelming her, but she was having no luck in her effort to deal a lethal blow while they were in their solid form. They were far too quick for her to be able to _touch_ them, let alone hurt them.

"Sakura, what the hell are you doing here?" Naruto's voice sounded off to her right, joined by what sounded like a chorus line of his clones. "You shouldn't be fighting!"

"I'm sealed, not crippled, Naruto!" she snapped back, not taking her eyes off her opponents. "I didn't even have to stay in the hospital like Tenten and Ino!"

"Yeah, but-" Naruto cut himself off with a curse that could peel paint. "Why don't these guys ever stay solid?"

Sakura opened her mouth to comment on that, but she was cut off by a slightly wet, gut-wrenching crack. Sakura had been a medic for nearly eight years, and she knew the sound of bone breaking when she heard it. She started to glance around, trying to see who had been felled, her mind automatically flashing through several jutsus to repair broken bones...

Only to find she wouldn't need it. A smoky, yet-strangely solid, humanoid body tumbled to the ground beside her, the head hanging at an angle that left no doubt in Sakura's mind its neck was broken.

One of the wraiths was dead.

Sakura barely had a moment to wonder who had done it, before a loud, exuberant battle speech hammered against her eardrums, most of which flew by too fast for her to catch, but in which she could have sworn the word 'youth' was repeated at least three times...

Another crack, and this time Sakura caught a flash of green behind the wraith that fell.

Lee. Of course. Sakura remembered thinking that Lee would be fast enough to hit wraiths the first time she faced them, and it seemed she'd been correct.

In fact, it seemed he was the _only_ one who could hit them. Lee was doing that disconcerting thing when he moved too fast to actually be seen (and considering they were ninja, with eyes trained to follow what a normal human's could never hope to glimpse, that was saying something), but his position could be marked by the dropping wraiths. It didn't take him very long; he just seemed to race up behind the Daemon, deal one of his concrete-shattering blows to their neck – which promptly snapped under the force – and then moved on to the next wraith before the last one had even hit the ground.

Soon, 'try to figure out a way to hit the wraiths' became 'keep the wraiths from swamping Lee while he wipes them out'.

The wraiths also seemed to have sensed that here lay a real threat to their forces, and were soon swarming towards Lee, trying to overrun him...but it only seemed to be making his job easier.

Sakura had a moment amid the pandemonium to think that if Lee got injured, they were well and truly screwed. There was simply no way anyone else could move quickly enough to do the wraiths any damage. Gai was fast, yes, but he also had ninjutsu and genjutsu to practice, hone and rely on. Lee didn't. His exclusive concentration on taijutsu meant that he'd surpassed his teacher's speed several years ago – an occasion Sakura vividly remembered simply because Gai hadn't stopped boasting about the 'student surpassing the master' for weeks.

Barely ten minutes after Lee joined the battle, all the wraiths were either dead or had retreated. She and her fellow ninjas learned that when wraiths died they first melted into a puddle of black, strange-smelling liquid, before evaporating into the air.

"That was quick," Naruto muttered, looking at one wraith that was still in the process of melting. "Hey, Sakura, do you think this stuff is okay to touch?"

"Why would you want to?" Sakura asked, while privately agreeing that yes, it _had_ been a very short battle. In fact, the only people who'd had a chance to get involved were herself, Naruto, Hinata, Lee, Neji, and a few ninja whose faces her mind dimly ascribed to Chunins but whose names escaped her.

Yes, it had been quick. Almost too quick, in fact. Surely Itachi's first assault would have had more power behind it than that? Maybe he'd counted on the wraiths overwhelming them and hadn't factored in Lee's speed...

Still, Sakura's suspicions were proven correct when Neji, scanning the area for any remaining opponents with his Byakugan activated, suddenly jerked his head up and to his left. Sakura followed his gaze.

Dragons.

Three enormous, slate-grey monsters were whirling in the air around the Konoha hospital, using claws, fangs and black breath to systematically rip the building apart.

_'Smart,'_ some cold, still rational part of Sakura's mind noted. _'Get the wraiths to divert our attention, then attack the hospital. Take down a lot of injured people, and make sure that those who get injured in any future conflicts will have trouble getting treatment.'_

"Ino and Tenten are still in there," Hinata whispered.

Neji didn't reply – he simply leapt to the roof of a nearby building, and began roof-hopping to the hospital at blurring speed.

The others wasted no time in following.

-xxx-

Tenten would have been quite content to stay in the hospital for the obligatory overnight stay that came with a concussion, and quite happy to do so without incident, but it seemed fate had other plans.

_'...and could that thought have sounded any more like Neji?'_ she wondered dimly as she stared at the huge, scaly head that had just, to all appearances, blown apart the outer wall of the room with what looked like black flames.

But even tired and with a nasty headache, Tenten's reflexes were superb. She rolled off the mattress – hissing in pain as the movement ripped the IV needle from her hand – and dropped to the floor, hoping the bed could provide some paltry form of cover until she could come up with some sort of plan...

A pained curse from behind her told Tenten that Ino had done the same, and her broken ribs had made her pay for it.

"That's a dragon, right?" Tenten clarified. "I haven't just been fed some really good drugs and am now seeing things, right?"

"If so, I'm seeing things, too," Ino muttered, trying to somehow move along the floor in a defensive crouch and hold her torso straight and rigid at the same time.

Claws like scythes scraped against the floor, and the metal bed Tenten had just been lying on was reduced to something resembling kindling.

The brunette seized her chance, snatching at the broken pieces of the steel frame, which had been sliced through as though attacked with metal shears. She seized two pieces that had probably served as the bed's legs – they were long, cylindrical, and the edges where they had been sheared looked sharp enough to serve as blades in lieu of her more traditional weapons. They would probably do her little good, considering her first thought was retreat, but Tenten knew she'd feel calmer about this whole situation if she had some kind of weapon in her hand.

Tenten edged slowly towards the door, one metal spike in each hand, Ino doing the same. When another clawed limb reached into the room like a cat digging around in a mousehole, blocking their escape, Tenten drove the longest metal spike into one of the toes.

It hit the scales and the edge snapped off as though Tenten had tried to stab granite. But the limb retracted, as though in surprise, and she and Ino now had a clear shot to the door.

Ino bolted into the hallway, and as she followed the blonde, Tenten glanced over her shoulder to see an eye as large as her head appear in the hole where the wall used to be. Without thinking about it, Tenten's arm raised the other metal spike, whipping it towards the dragon with the accuracy that had made her reputation as a ninja.

Tenten saw the metal drive deep into the dragon's eye in a spurt of blood and fluid. Then the eye vanished as the dragon whipped its head back, its anguished screech making her ears ring.

It might have been Tenten's imagination, but she could have sworn the she heard a 'bitch!' amid the screeching. But hadn't Tsunade told them dragons couldn't talk?

Ino's hand wrapped around Tenten's arm and yanked her into the hallway. The corridor was choked with medics and patients scrambling for the stairwell, desperate to escape the collapsing building. Through the crowd, Ino could see the distinctive whirls of smoke the signaled the Instant Transportation jutsu being used by ninjas.

_'Probably getting the worst patients out,'_ the blonde assumed. _'The ones who aren't able to walk by themselves.'_ She toyed with the idea of performing the jutsu herself, but dismissed it just as quickly. Neither she nor Tenten were in any shape to unleash such a chakra-consuming jutsu.

Tenten practically fell down the stairs, the building beginning to tremble and groan as though caught in an earthquake. The brunette winced as she listened to Ino's ragged, uneven pants behind her – she didn't want to think about how painful it would be to run down flights of stairs at top speed with three broken ribs.

There was a deafening screech from outside, tapering into a low, animal moan of agony.

Tenten hoped someone had managed to injure another of the dragons. She wasn't sure how many there were, but if they all had impenetrable scales like that...fighting them was going to be difficult.

Most of the crowd was streaming out the back door like a multi-coloured river, but the kunoichis fought against the tide, struggling to reach the front doors. They soon realised they were being borne backwards by the sheer mass of people, and so jammed themselves into a small alcove provided by the reception desk until the crowd thinned.

As the people's cries began to die, Tenten became aware that there was no more screeching from outside. What had happened to the dragons? She and Ino darted around the few stragglers still stumbling to the back door, and hurled themselves out of the front as the walls around them began to fissure.

They burst into the street and ran madly down the road just as the hospital seemed to implode, falling in upon itself like a collapsing house of cards.

For long moments, stunned silence reigned. Dust billowed from the ruins like smoke and settled in the street, coating everything (including Tenten and Ino) in a light brown, powdery layer of grime. Breathing hard, trying to absorb the shock of seeing the hospital collapse in front of them, Tenten and Ino glanced at their surroundings...and found themselves hit by another wave of shock.

Two dragons lay motionless on the grass in front of the hospital, each twenty feet long from nose to tail, surrounded by the rubble from the collapsed building. And standing around the dragons was a small collection of ninja, some neither woman recognised, and some they certainly did; Hinata, Neji, Naruto, Lee and Sakura all had a hint of triumph in their stances as they looked at the beaten Daemons.

As the two women watched, Neji suddenly spun around, as though intent on storming the ruined hospital...but stopped in his tracks when his eyes landed on the two kunoichi out the front.

Neji felt his tense muscles relax when he caught sight of Tenten standing in the hospital road, a substantial distance from the rubble. He could see no blood, no overt injuries...she appeared to have survived the attack and subsequent collapse virtually unscathed.

"What happened?" Ino asked, gaping at the scene.

"The dragons were defeated!" Lee proclaimed. "With our magnificent teamwork, and-"

Naruto slapped his hand over Lee's mouth and gave his own version of events. "The head honcho, Stormchaser or something..."

"Storm_seeker_, Naruto," Sakura corrected. "Just let me tell them. Anyway, Stormseeker was coordinating the other two dragons to attack the hospital, but when he got this piece of metal in his eye, the attack kind of went to hell. He started flying away, but the other two stayed around, like dogs fulfilling their master's orders, I guess. Neji and Hinata leapt onto the roofs to deal with one; they gave it this double Gentle Fist thing in the chest when it flew over them, and it just sort of dropped. Naruto brought out his clones to deal with the other one, and one of his clones got into the dragon's mouth, went through the soft pallet with a kunai and got it in the brain."

"Sakura told me where to hit it," Naruto explained.

Tenten raised her eyebrows at the half-Faerie, and Sakura grinned. "I'm a medic, remember? The one who knows how to put you together also knows how to take you apart." Her face shifted into one of concern as she gazed at the hospital. "I hope everyone got out alright..."

Ino tuned out the rest of the conversation, wandering a little ways from the group to lean against the nearest pile of rubble. Her ribs throbbed every time she so much as shifted her weight, and she felt the need to internalise a little until she had the pain under control. She took even, measured breaths, trying not to move her ribs any more than was absolutely necessary. She closed her eyes and tried to send her mind away, to dwell on something else...

Except that soft chirping just wouldn't stop!

Ino opened her eyes, intending to send a vicious glare or two in a bird's direction, only to find that the noise wasn't coming from a tree.

It was coming from the body of a nearby dragon.

Ino glanced suspiciously at the scaled monstrosity. Unlike the other dragon, it had a small bulge at the abdomen, and it lacked a black crest behind its head. Something tickled at Ino's memory, something about young in a pouch...

The dragon had fallen on its side, so Ino could touch its underbelly with little effort. She slid her hands around the bulge, surprised when she felt an opening meet her fingers. So it really did have a pouch. The blonde reached in, grimacing at the still-warm, mucousy interior. She felt around...

And felt small, sharp teeth close on her finger like a steel trap. Biting back a yelp of pain and the instinctive urge to lash out at whatever had injured her, Ino plunged her other hand into the pouch, feeling the ridge of a spine, the curve of a tail...she curled her hand underneath skinny, clawed legs and lifted.

"Hey, Ino, want to hang around until Lady Tsunade gets here?" Sakura asked, moving towards her friend. "She'll probably want to examine the bodies, see if we can learn anything else about the dragons...what have you got there?"

For Sakura had suddenly realised that, sitting in Ino's hands, jaws clamped onto one of her fingers like a playful puppy, was a dragon no larger than a small cat, its scales sticky with yellowish fluid.

-xxx-

"It would probably be a good idea to keep the little rascal," Sakura said, peering closely at the baby dragon that had tucked itself into Ino's arms.

She and Ino were currently in the Hokage's office, trying to explain to Tsunade why it would be a good idea to raise the Daemon instead of killing it on the spot.

"Why on earth would it be a good idea?" the Hokage asked, watching as the dragon scoured fresh scratches along Ino's arm. "Seems a vicious little thing to me – what's it going to be like when it's grown?"

"She doesn't mean anything by it," Ino defended. "She just doesn't realise what she's doing – like a kitten that hasn't quite figured out its claws are sharp."

Tsunade raised an elegant eyebrow. "She?"

"You can tell it's a female," Sakura explained, pointing to the back of the dragonet's head. "Not even a hint of a crest."

"But it's still a Daemon," Tsunade insisted. "It's still loyal to Skwall."

Sakura shook her head. "Not exactly. Skwall may have created dragons, but they aren't automatically loyal to him. I told you dragons were like dogs – they're loyal to whoever raises them. Since this little one is still young, it's like buying a puppy from some breeders. The breeders might have been responsible for the puppy's birth, but it's going to be loyal to the ones that raise it."

"So you're saying that if we raise this dragon, it will be loyal to us, instead of Skwall," Tsunade clarified.

She sounded guarded, but Sakura could see a glimmer of excitement in her eyes as she mentally calculated what kind of advantage a dragon of their own could give them.

"And if you think we're going to learn a lot from dissecting those corpses, what do you think we'll learn from watching a dragon grow and mature?" Sakura added.

When Tsunade leaned back in her chair, Sakura could tell her teacher was already convinced. "Suppose I let the dragon stay...who's going to raise it?"

"I will," Ino offered, grinning down at the dragon as though it had never bitten her finger or gashed her arm.

Sakura found she wasn't surprised – Ino had always seemed to have an overactive maternal instinct. She had taken Sakura under her wing when they were children, had carefully repaired her shattered confidence and defended her from the taunts of others when many other girls would have simply looked the other way. The medic was willing to bet that when Ino first pulled the dragon out of the pouch, she hadn't seen a potential enemy; she'd seen a tiny creature that was now alone in the world. She'd seen something that needed her care and protection.

Ino had raised objections when one of the shinobi Sakura didn't recognise suggested killing the young dragon. She'd told them that it was baby, a child, and she wouldn't be party to the killing of children. And then, seemingly oblivious to the way the dragon was gnawing on her finger as though it were a chew toy, she'd said that she was going to talk to the Hokage, and she was certain Lady Tsunade would agree with her.

Sakura had come along for moral support, and to help formulate arguments that could sway Tsunade.

"So, what are you going to call her?" the pink-haired woman asked as she and her friend (and her friend's new charge) left the office. "Any names spring to mind?"

"How about..." Ino frowned, hoisting the dragon up to eye-level – gently, so the movement didn't jostle her ribs – and looked into the dark eyes. "Hatchling?"

"Hatchling..." Sakura rolled it around her mouth. A little uninspired, maybe...but fitting, in an odd way. "I like it."

"Yeah..." Ino gathered the dragon back into her arms, heedless of the sticky mucous that had by now been smeared all across her arms and shirt. "Hatchling...you need a bath...and I need to get a brace on, quick. Think you can fix me up with one, Sakura?"

Sakura paused mid-nod, becoming aware that footsteps were sounding through the corridor, approaching rapidly. She glanced up, and found Shikamaru marching purposefully towards them.

His eyes landed on the dragon in Ino's arms, and he groaned. "Ino, please tell me you're just carrying that thing somewhere, and the rumours about you adopting it aren't true."

_'There are already rumours?'_ Sakura noted. _'That was fast.'_ But upon reflection, she decided they were probably being put about by the shinobi who'd first suggested that they kill Hatchling, and whom Ino had ranted at.

"_She_ is a dragon, not a thing," Ino declared. "And her name is Hatchling."

Shikamaru groaned again, closing his eyes for a moment as though in frustration. "Do you have any idea how troublesome this is going to be?"

"Well, so what?" Ino snapped, clutching the dragon closer, as vehement as if Shikamaru had just insulted her firstborn child. "Lots of things are 'troublesome', I think some things are worth the trouble!"

Shikamaru took one look at her flashing eyes, her protective hold on the dragon even with the bites and shallow scratches adorning her arms and hands, and knew she was already deeply attached. Beneath Ino's headstrong and at times prickly personality, there dwelt a very soft heart. It took surprisingly little to inspire Ino's loyalty, but once gained, it was nigh-unbreakable.

"Easy," he said, holding his hands up as though to ward off an attack. "You do realise she's going to grow to about twenty feet long, don't you?"

Ino resented the implication that she hadn't thought this through, but the fact that Shikamaru now referred to Hatchling as 'she' instead of 'it' gained him points. "The house my aunt left me is right next the biggest park in Konoha – plenty of practice fields and the like. Hatchling will be fine there."

"And will _you_ be fine?" Shikamaru asked, looking pointedly at her injuries.

"I'm getting set up with a brace for my ribs so I can go home, and then Hatchling's going to get a bath because she's so gunky..."

Sakura allowed herself a small smile as she watched Ino and Shikamaru debate the merits of taking in a dragon. It was nice to see something good come from the attack. Ino had a new – if rather unorthodox – pet, they had a chance to learn more about their enemy while she raised Hatchling, and the dragon could also be a potential weapon in their war.

Sakura was glad, because she had a feeling things were only going to get worse.

-xxx-

Sakura had set up Ino's brace and gone home again, determined to snatch a few hours of sleep before her late shift at the hospital began. Or at least, her shift at one of the buildings that were temporarily serving as mini-hospitals; since the hospital itself had collapsed, those patients most in need of care had been transferred to the town hall, and medic tents had been set up in a lot of the nearby parks to contain and treat those whose injuries were less urgent.

The brace itself seemed to be some sort of hard plastic encasing Ino's torso, fastened with soft leather straps. The more Ino examined it the more she felt as though it wasn't designed to keep her ribs in place the same way a plaster cast did; it seemed more designed to limit her movement than anything else. Ino supposed that made sense – the ribs were anchored in two places, the spine and sternum, and would align together naturally if she didn't twist around and shift them.

Which Ino was sure she would appreciate a lot later, when she wasn't in desperate need of flexibility to bathe a small, writhing dragon.

"I told you this was going to be troublesome," Shikamaru drawled, somehow managing to sound bored even as he wrestled the scaled Daemon into the small plastic tub that was probably used to wash dishes. Shizune had given it to them when Ino refused to leave the administrative building with Hatchling still covered in the sticky mucous from her mother's pouch.

So she'd been presented with a plastic tub filled with warm water and a washcloth. She'd roped Shikamaru into helping her out, saying she'd need someone to hold Hatchling in the tub while she scrubbed.

Looking at the light scratches on his arms, she found herself regretting that a little bit. Just a little, though – she wasn't sure what a nightmare this would have turned into if Shikamaru hadn't been there to hold Hatchling in place.

Shikamaru's thoughts were wandering along much the same path. Why was he doing this again?

Oh, right; Ino had asked him. And then he'd only put up token resistance before he gave in and let Ino have her way as he almost always did.

_'I'm whipped,' _he thought despairingly. _'If there was ever a moment that proved it, this is it. And we're not even dating – I'm whipped without any of the fringe benefits.'_

The dragon let loose an ear-splitting screech as Ino scrubbed the washcloth vigorously across her back. Ino hooked one hand under the wing, unfolding it carefully and gently running a washcloth across the thick membrane.

Hatchling protested with an indignant squawk, her teeth flashing as she snapped at Ino's fingers. Ino snatched her hand out of reach, then brought her palm down on the dragon's nose in a gentle slap.

"No!" Ino growled. "No biting! Bad Hatchling!"

The dragon fell back, looking confused, shaking her head from side to side as though to shake away the sting.

"You're taking this whole 'she's just like a puppy' thing seriously, aren't you?" Shikamaru said, eyeing the blonde woman.

"She has to learn not to bite or scratch," Ino retorted. "And she has to learn now, before she's big enough to take someone's arm off in one snap."

Shikamaru reflected that Ino certainly had a point there.

The Yamanaka swiped the cloth over Hatchling's head, wiping away the last of the sticky fluid. "Okay, lift her out and set her on the table."

Grumbling, Shikamaru did as he was ordered. Ino toweled Hatchling dry, carefully sponging away the moisture from her wings and from around her eyes and nose. To her surprise, when she rubbed the towel beneath Hatchling's chin, the dragon made a high-pitched crooning sound, tilting her head back as her black eyes closed in apparent pleasure, like a kitten purring when its ears were scratched.

"Hey, I think she likes this," Ino grinned, tossing the towel to one side and lightly scratching the dragon's chin. Hatchling's crooning grew louder, and her wings fluttered weakly. "Almost like when you rub a dog's belly and its leg kicks. Okay, you can give her to me now."

Shikamaru withdrew his hands with a sense of relief – it had been no picnic trying to hold a squirming mass of scales, teeth and claws. He examined the scratches on his arms with a clinical gaze, finally determining they were nothing serious. He eyed the dragon that had inflicted them, wondering if Ino knew what she taking on. Though the scabbed gashes on her own arms and the bitemarks on her fingers suggested she was aware what she was in for.

And Shikamaru could admit, rather reluctantly, that Hatchling was kind of cute, in a helpless-baby-animal kind of way.

Hatchling snuggled into Ino's arms, the indignity of the bath and the sting of the slap apparently forgotten. She buried her head into the crook of Ino's elbow, her tail looping around the blonde's wrist as though to anchor herself in place.

"Aren't you cute?" Ino cooed, stroking the scaly body.

"Ino, she was doing her very best to cut both our arms to ribbons only a few minutes ago," Shikamaru reminded.

"You're exaggerating – she wasn't going to cut our arms to ribbons."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. Yet he couldn't help asking, "Are you going to be able to manage?"

Ino grinned down at the dragon in her arms. "We'll see, won't we?"

-xxx-

No matter how many times he saw it, Shikamaru still couldn't help but be amused at the spectacle Ino and Hatchling presented. A dragon the size of a draft horse following a small blonde woman like a duckling never failed to make people stare.

In the three weeks since she'd been found, Hatchling had grown at an exponential rate. At first, Ino had panicked when Hatchling turned up her nose at all the food she offered, from raw vegetables to well-cooked steak, until Sakura explained that neither Faerie nor Daemons needed to eat. Mikiko dined while in the human world, true, but it was more to fit in than any real need for sustenance.

"_Well, Mum explained it to me once, something about them being direct creations of gods, and the energy that goes in to create them or something, and their constant connection to the type of energy that created them, but I was only about ten at the time, so I didn't really understand anything or pay much attention," had been Sakura's explanation. "But the upshot of it is, you won't need to feed Hatchling."_

Which was definitely a bonus, as it meant that the dragon wouldn't eat Ino out of house and home.

The obedience training had also been something to remember. Chouji had never laughed so hard as he had when Ino called them over to show them what Hatchling (who, at that point, had only been as big as a Great Dane) had learned.

Apparently, Sakura's comments about them being like dogs had given Ino ideas. She'd taught Hatchling the entire regime, from 'come', 'sit' and 'stay' to 'shake' and 'heel'. Though the 'heel' part Hatchling seemed to do on her own; she followed Ino like a devoted puppy, waiting patiently outside buildings she was too large to fit into until Ino emerged again.

It was like that old nursery rhyme about Mary and her lamb, except this was Ino and her dragon.

At the moment, Ino's efforts in obedience were beginning to steer more towards Hatchling's future role in Konoha's struggle. So far, her attack command was 'lilacs' (Ino had needed a word that wouldn't be thrown indiscriminately around the battlefield) and Ino was working on installing 'giddy-up' as the command to launch into flight. But this was proving difficult – it was hard to tempt Hatchling into flight when her surrogate mother remained so firmly rooted to the ground.

And it looked like they might have to get Hatchling into action soon. The spate of attacks from the Elseworld had only increased as time went on, and as yet there was no way of getting reinforcements – their allied villages were under attack as well. And there was no assistance from the Otherworld, not even some helpful hints on how to tackle Daemons. It was as though the Faerie had cut themselves off from the human realm entirely, as if hoping that if they didn't interfere, Skwall would be content with the 'mortals' and leave them alone.

Shikamaru knew Sakura was more depressed by that than she let on. He didn't see Sakura often, only when Ino had her play with Hatchling in an effort to cheer her up. But even he could see that Itachi's systematic torture was taking its toll. She had been looking steadily more harried and sleep-deprived, and seemed to be constantly rubbing her back, as though expecting to be brought to her knees with pain any moment. Shikamaru knew that Tsunade had given the medic the day off today, as she'd been kept up all night by Itachi's attempts to subsume her.

Her physical degeneration seemed linked to the deterioration of Sasuke's temper. While the Uchiha had always been stony and short-tempered, his fuse seemed even shorter these days, prone to exploding at the slightest provocation.

Not that Shikamaru could really blame him. Both Sasuke and Naruto had to be feeling helpless and frustrated (at least, that was certainly what Ino was feeling), the only difference was that Hinata had all-but perfected the art of diverting Naruto from self-destructive thoughts to more positive ones. There was no one to do the same for Sasuke.

"Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru blinked, turning around. He could have sworn that was Sakura's voice...

And it was. The medic was making her way down the street, looking so exhausted Shikamaru wondered for a moment if she was sleepwalking.

"Didn't you have today off?" he frowned.

"I need to see Ino," Sakura said, her voice sounding as though she had a throat-cold. "Have you seen her?"

Shikamaru nodded wordlessly to Hatchling, who was dozing in the alley beside the flower shop, stretched out like a gigantic grey snake.

"Oh, right." Sakura blinked dazedly, as though she hadn't noticed the dragon that practically filled the alley.

She wandered inside with an unsteady gait that made Shikamaru's sleepwalking simile seem more and more apt by the minute. Hatchling's large, wedge-shaped head swung up as soon as Sakura approached the door like a wary guard dog, but as soon as the dragon recognised Sakura, the medic was made the recipient of an affectionate nudge that nearly knocked her over.

The shadow-user frowned again, glancing down the road and then back at the flower shop, weighing training against remaining where he was and making sure Sakura was alright. Normally, he wouldn't have bothered, but she _had_ been weaving like a drunkard...and while he may not know her as well as Ino or Naruto did, he liked Sakura; she wasn't a bad sort.

Though the fact that Ino was almost sick with worry for her friend might have influenced Shikamaru more than he'd like to admit.

So he leaned against the wall beside Hatchling, giving the dragon an affectionate pat on the nose. She butted his hand insistently, and with a sigh, Shikamaru dutifully scratched the scales underneath her chin. Hatchling crooned low in her throat, her forked tongue flickering out in pleasure.

"Hey, Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru's eyes flicked sideways. Ino was peering out of the door, looking nervous.

"Sakura told me she hasn't been able to sleep," she began.

Shikamaru nodded. "Tsunade gave her the day off-"

"Not just last night!" Ino burst out, looking as though she might crack around the edges. "She told me she hasn't been able to sleep for _days_!"

Hatchling, picking up on Ino's obvious distress, crooned reassuringly, her neck snaking around Shikamaru so she could nudge her head under Ino's elbow. Ino sighed, some of her tension bleeding away, and she let Hatchling continue to snuggle into her side, her arm remaining draped over a scaled head as large as a dog.

Shikamaru was alarmed, but tried not to let it show; the last thing Ino needed was another reason to get worked up again. But Sakura's dazed behavior suddenly made a lot more sense.

Ino bit her lip, and her voice was quieter when she spoke again. "I shouldn't really ask you this..."

And now Shikamaru's internal alarm went crazy. Ino's hand were clenched in front of her, her shoulders were hunched, her eyes were avoiding his, and her voice was quiet, almost subdued. She looked...meek.

The words 'meek' and 'Ino' meshed about as well as oil and water. And about as often. Something had her rattled. No, not rattled...terrified. She was practically shaking as he watched her, and Hatchling's soft croons hadn't let up once.

"Do you think you could watch the shop for the rest of my shift?"

Shikamaru blinked. Whatever he'd been expecting her to ask, that hadn't been it.

"She asked me if I thought I could do the Mind Transfer again," Ino explained, her calm voice at odds with the fear in her eyes. "To hold Itachi off for her so she can get some sleep. I said I would."

Shikamaru suddenly understood why Ino was looking so frightened. She had agreed to protect her friend from the hand of the destroyer-god, but it wasn't that she was afraid of. Ino wasn't nearly as terrified of Skwall as she was of failing. Of failing to protect Sakura and, at best, leaving her facing another sleepless night, at worst, leaving her vulnerable to Skwall's attack.

"I mean, I know you have stuff to do," she went on in a rush. "But I wouldn't ask unless it was really necessary – I know how lazy you are..."

The barb was so half-hearted Shikamaru had to fight the urge to shake Ino by the shoulders until her sharp, biting tone was restored.

"...but Sakura looks like she'll keel over any minute. Like she's not even seeing what's around her, she's so exhausted. And I know it's probably 'troublesome' and you're probably busy, and-"

Shikamaru finally realised she'd taken his silence for hesitation. "Don't worry, I'll do it."

"You will?" The unbridled gratitude and relief on Ino's face was slightly unnerving.

"Sure," he shrugged. And then, just to maintain his image of the resident lazy-ass, "It'll be troublesome, but having a sleep-deprived medic running around will be even more troublesome."

He didn't mention that when she looked at him with that lost, desperate expression, he'd probably have agreed to just about anything she asked of him.

"Thank you!" Ino screeched, launching herself forward and throwing her arms around his neck.

The sudden impact against his chest made Shikamaru list backwards, and he automatically wrapped his arm around Ino's waist to anchor her while he regained his balance.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Ino chirped. "You have no idea-"

Shikamaru could see the exact second when their respective positions dawned on her. But to his surprise, she didn't immediately jump away from him; instead, her cheek flushed lightly and she peeled herself off him jerkily, as though reluctant to leave.

The Nara immediately chided himself for wishful thinking and made his arm release her.

Ino spun on her heel and dashed back into the shop. When she emerged, she was pulling a bleary Sakura along by the hand.

"Shikamaru's going to watch the shop," she was telling the dazed medic. "And we're going home to see if your theory holds up and I can help you get some sleep."

Sakura nodded, allowing Ino to drag her along without protest.

Hatchling whined and nudged Ino again, not pleased with being overlooked.

"Oh, hush," Ino chided her. "I'm spoiling you, anyway. But we're going home now – Hatchling..._heel_!"

The dragon practically glued herself to Ino's side, as close as shadow.

"Good girl," Ino praised. "And thanks again, Shikamaru."

"Yeah, yeah," he waved it off, watching the blonde, the medic, and the dragon disappear around the corner.

He watched them go, and tried to quiet the sick sense of worry lying heavy in his gut, tried not to think about the prospect of Ino facing and battling the god of destruction.

-xxx-

With Hatchling curled in her front yard, Ino guided Sakura to the bedroom, letting her kick off her shoes and settle down on Ino's bed.

"But first, I have to ask you something," Ino said, hovering over her friend and looking so much like an overprotective mother hen that Sakura was tempted to laugh. "You've always seemed to have a sort of innate resistance to this technique...I know that I could help you fight off Itachi before, but that was when he was already trying to take over. I'm not sure I'll be able to retain a foothold in your mind if you aren't focusing on a more malicious intruder."

"I don't think that's going to be a problem," Sakura murmured, her eyelids as heavy as if someone were sitting on them. "That time in the Chunin exams...I _wanted_ to shove you out. I think it's going to be different if I want you in there."

"Alright, then." Ino wiped her sweaty palms on her pants, and tried not to think about her previous mental battle and how much it had drained her. Could she fight Itachi off again...without Sakura's help?

_'I'll have to,'_ the blonde thought, glancing at her friend's deadened eyes.

Ino's hand formed the necessary seals, and she transported herself into Sakura's mind.

-xxx-

Ino was bored.

Strange as it may seem, when hours ago she was practically shaking at the prospect of facing the invader again, now she was only very, very bored.

As per her previous experience, she was a mental cloud in a Sakura-sea, but this time the sea seemed...quieter. Sakura was asleep – her thoughts were resting, too.

And Ino was bored.

Though she much preferred boredom to the alternative.

In fact, the boredom in and of itself was starting to make her anxious. She was sure Itachi was about to launch another takeover attempt...what was he waiting for? As time dragged by like a slug moving through treacle, Ino wished she had a body, or at least some sort of mental manifestation of one. That way, she could at least have chewed her nails or tapped her fingers or done something to express the jittery nervousness that was steadily building within her.

The Sakura-sea around her shifted, and Ino was immediately alarmed. Had her distress somehow communicated itself to Sakura, and was now waking her up?

For waking up was what it seemed Sakura was doing. Ino felt the Sakura-sea shift again, partly withdrawing from her, and applying a little pressure. There was gratitude, relief, a hint of 'could you please leave now?', and Ino released the jutsu.

She blinked in her body for the first time in what seemed like days, and glanced at the sunlight streaming through the curtains with a heavy heart. It had been four o'clock when Ino had first initiated the Mind Transfer; it seemed Sakura hadn't even managed to catch two hours of sleep...

Ino suddenly realised the light was coming from the wrong direction to be late afternoon. She flung her arm over a stirring Sakura and seized her alarm clock.

It was ten o'clock in the morning. Ino had maintained the Mind Transfer for eighteen hours, and Sakura had gotten over half a day's worth of sleep.

"Yes!" Ino crowed, leaping from the slumped position her body had been in since she vacated it, wincing when her ribs stung sharply. They had been healing nicely, but still protested any sharp or sudden movements.

Still, even that couldn't put a damper on her spirits. She'd gone into Sakura's head, allowed her to get over a full night's worth of sleep, and Itachi hadn't attacked once.

Sakura moaned, blinked, rubbed a hand across her eyes and finally focused on Ino.

A lazy grin stretched across her face.

"I feel great," she announced languidly. "I tell you, I'll never underestimate the value of sleep again, I-"

Sudden horror flashed across her face. "Ino, are you okay? Did he attack? Are you-"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Ino laughed, waving Sakura's concern away. "He left you alone the whole night."

Sakura frowned, and Ino could sympathise. Now that the whole 'I didn't have to face Itachi' elation was dying down, she found herself wondering exactly why he hadn't attacked.

Maybe it was only coincidence that he'd been attacking constantly in the last few days and now coincidence that he was tapering off. Maybe he remembered what had happened the last time he'd attempted the takeover with Ino present in Sakura's mind and decided to err on the side of caution.

Or maybe it was because it was Sakura he was trying to break, and when it was Ino he would be facing, he had no interest.

Sakura suddenly jumped in place on the bed, her eyes widening. Ino spun around, expecting to see some sort of attacker at her window...and instead came face to face with Hatchling. The dragon had figured out a few days ago that if she stood on her hind legs and extended her neck, she could peer into Ino's bedroom.

"Hey, girl," Ino crooned, opening the window and rubbing her hand up and down the huge cheek. "I'll be out in a minute, alright?"

Hatchling chirped, nuzzling against Ino's hand and nearly sending the blonde reeling backwards.

"I'll be out in a minute," Ino repeated. "Down!"

Hatchling dropped obediently to all fours.

"Good girl."

Ino yanked her head back in the window and beamed at the astonished Sakura. "What would you like for breakfast?"

-xxx-

Sasuke had no idea what he was doing. He'd had been keeping an eye out for Sakura these past few weeks, quite without conscious input from his brain; he'd only realised what he was doing when he noticed he was taking the roundabout route to the training grounds, the route that would take him past the medic tents outside the town hall, and he was automatically seeking out Sakura's chakra signature.

When he failed to find it at the temporary hospital yesterday, he'd found himself feeling something rather close to worry. And when he'd failed to find it again this morning, he had bypassed the training grounds, intending to go to Naruto's apartment and see if he knew what Sakura was doing.

But he'd passed Ino and Shikamaru en route, the blonde apparently thanking the shadow-user profusely for something, and his keen hearing had caught Sakura's name.

And before he could think about it, he'd butted into the conversation and demanded to know what had happened to her.

"She wasn't sleeping well," Ino said, her eyes a little wary, as though trying to determine his motives for asking. "Itachi kept attacking her – she hadn't been able to sleep for days."

"But..." Sasuke didn't like being left out of the loop. "She never said..."

"Yeah, well, that's Sakura for you," Ino muttered. "She's the sort who, if she truly suffers, she suffers in silence. Stupid Forehead-girl, the way she just smiles as though what's happening to her is nothing..."

Shikamaru made a low noise of agreement. He'd learnt that much about Sakura when he watched her reaction after Naruto told her Sasuke had gone to Orochimaru and they'd been unable to stop him.

Ino shook herself out of her thoughts and went on to explain what she'd done to help Sakura get some rest.

And so Sasuke found himself outside Sakura's house, wondering what the hell he was doing. It wasn't like he was any good at the touchy-feely stuff – that was more Naruto's department.

He wondered if he should just walk away.

But still...this was Sakura. Sakura, who always seemed to have a smile on her face, who always seemed to find something to be happy about, no matter what. Sakura, who was now suffering on Itachi's whim.

Sasuke resisted the urge to sigh when he realised that, yes, he was indeed going to knock on Sakura's door to try to cheer her up. He doubted he was qualified for the job (the man who'd broken her young adolescent heart hardly seemed like a good choice for cheering company), he didn't think he'd do a good job of it (he'd count himself lucky if the visit didn't conclude with her punching him through a wall or two), but he felt...as though he owed it to Sakura to at least try.

He'd spent a large portion of his life saying and doing things that made her miserable...what could it hurt to try to make her happy for once?

So Sasuke steeled himself, and knocked on the door.

When it was opened to reveal a surprisingly cheery Sakura, her hands glistening with moisture and a dishtowel slung over one shoulder, Sasuke's fragile game plan evaporated. He knew, intellectually, that Sakura was enduring torture on a daily basis, but he'd never have guessed it from the way she looked.

Sakura blinked at Sasuke, more than a little confused. After her first peaceful sleep in days, she'd woken feeling refreshed and distinctly more alert and optimistic. So she'd set to work on several chores she'd been letting slide for the past few days; she done several loads of laundry, she'd cleaned, she'd vacuumed...Sasuke had interrupted her in the middle of washing-up.

She'd hadn't seen much of Sasuke lately – hadn't seen much of _any_ of her friends lately. After a good night's sleep, she could admit that the pain and fear had made her withdraw, close herself off in an effort to deal with it on her own. She'd meditated and wrestled with the seal for hours on end with no results, and she'd spent a large amount of time writhing on the floor in pain.

But she hadn't gone to anyone for help, for comfort, or even a consoling hand on her back or shoulder. She had been reluctant to go to Ino; the blonde already had enough on her plate without Sakura adding to it. Naruto's overactive protective instincts would just leave him feeling even more frustrated and helpless than he already did. Her father was still absent on his mission, Kakashi and Tsunade were being run ragged by the spate of Daemon attacks, and she wouldn't go to Lee – it might have given him false hope or led him on. And she knew just how much that hurt.

Not that Sasuke had ever led her on, really; she'd done that all by herself.

Sakura felt a sad smile pulling at her lips as she reflected on her younger self. She had been either incredibly imaginative or incredibly pathetic. Perhaps a little of both.

She hadn't gone to Sasuke because...she just hadn't. And now she found herself wracking her brains, unable to come up with a reason why he'd be on her doorstep.

But this could work. She had something she needed to ask him anyways...

"Come on in," she said, standing to the side to let him pass. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you about anyway..."

A line appeared between Sasuke's eyebrows as he tried to puzzle it out.

"It's about my seal," she clarified. "Sasuke...you're good at fire jutsus, right?"

Sasuke nodded, wondering where this was going...

"Think you could burn it off me?"


	11. Healthy Cripple

**Chapter 11**

**Healthy Cripple**

Sasuke was sure he couldn't have heard that correctly. "What?"

"I asked if you could burn the seal off me," Sakura repeated. "I've got this theory that, if the skin it's imprinted on is damaged, the seal might be damaged, too. I've tried cutting it with a blade, but that doesn't seem to work – it may be that I have to totally destroy that patch of skin, and burning's the best method I can think of."

It took a lot of effort for Sasuke to resist the urge to gape at her. Sakura wanted him to deliberately interfere with her seal? After both Tsunade and Kakashi had tried to bind it, first separately and then in concert, without any positive results?

And she wanted him to _burn_ it off?

"I'm not going to burn you," Sasuke stated bluntly.

Sakura cocked her head to one side, as though he'd just said something rather intriguing. "Why not?"

"I'm...I'm just not going to."

Her eyes narrowed like an angry cat's. "You'll have to have a better reason than that, Sasuke."

"I don't need to have any reasons to refuse to do something so ridiculous," he muttered sullenly, feeling like he was a child being scolded by an overbearing sister.

Which was stupid, really; she was the one who'd just asked him to do her serious bodily harm.

"Why not?" Sakura repeated. "Don't you trust me?"

Sasuke was about to retort that agreeing to burn someone had nothing to do with trust, but Sakura ploughed onwards, obviously becoming thoroughly riled.

"I don't see what's the big deal, it's just a little flaming! If I were Naruto, we wouldn't be having this argument; we'd already be heading out to the training grounds where we could get the proverbial fireworks going without being in danger of setting anything else aflame-"

Sasuke could admit that she was right. If Naruto had asked him for a similar favour, he wouldn't have hesitated. He and Naruto were rivals; they'd pounded each other into the dirt a number of times. But the idea of hurting Sakura was...different. It wasn't to do with the fact that she was a woman or anything of the sort, it was purely to do with the fact that she was...Sakura. And the idea of hurting her was repellent on a very basic, instinctual level.

"Look, Sasuke..." she sighed, "If you don't do it, I'll just find someone else."

That was an alarming prospect. Sasuke knew his talent with fire jutsus, he knew his own skills; he knew he was one of the best. Someone else, someone less experienced, would be more likely to go overboard, to damage her more than was necessary, to hurt her badly...

If he agreed...at least he would be able to ensure her injuries weren't one iota more severe than she asked them to be.

"Alright," Sasuke snapped, voice tight. "Fine, I'll do it."

He wasn't happy about it, he wasn't happy at all. But it was marginally better than the alternative; the lesser of two evils...

"Thank you!" Sakura chirped, sounding dangerously close to enthusiastic. Sasuke was convinced it was unnatural to sound that cheerful about impending bodily harm.

"Let's go the training grounds, shall we?" she grinned. "Less likely to burn things there, with all the bare earth around."

-xxx-

Sasuke stared at the black seal on Sakura's back, calculating the amount and intensity of flame he would need to apply to eradicate it and trying not to think about exactly whose seal it was.

He'd led Sakura to one of the old Uchiha training grounds, as it was the only place where he was confident they wouldn't be disturbed. He didn't feel like making a spectacle of this to some genin team and their jonin teacher.

He tried not to let Sakura notice his palms were sweating at the thought of breathing naked flame onto her flesh, and watching the skin scorch and char. He'd done the same thing many times before; exhaled fire onto people's skin and watched their flesh redden and melt away...

But this was Sakura. And that simple fact turned a normally routine jutsu into something that made his stomach writhe as though he'd eaten live snakes.

His hands formed the necessary seals automatically, and Sasuke inhaled deeply, crouching down and trying not to think about the fact that his lips were inches from Sakura's bare back.

It seemed there were a lot things he was trying not to think about lately.

Sasuke breathed out a sharp burst of flame, trying to ensure the seal was burned thoroughly in one hit; to get it over with as quickly as possible. A low grunt emitted from Sakura's lip and her whole body tensed, but other than that, she didn't react.

Sasuke was glad she didn't scream. He didn't know if he could have handled that.

He forced himself to watch as the skin reddened and split, charring like overcooked meat. The black seal vanished, consumed by the flames as the flesh it was imprinted on sizzled and burned.

For a moment, Sasuke allowed himself to hope that this barbaric treatment had actually worked.

But the flames died, and something glowed like molten iron on the burned red and black skin. And the seal reformed before his eyes, reappearing on the scorched flesh as though stamped there in black ink.

Sasuke felt a sudden surge of helpless rage. He'd done what Sakura had told him; he'd burned the seal, he'd caused her pain...and it was all for nothing. For all the agony he'd given her...it hadn't done a thing to help.

The story of his life – sometimes it seemed as though nothing he did ever helped Sakura in any way.

"It didn't work, did it?" Sakura asked, her breathing harsh and heavy.

"No, it didn't work."

"Can't say I'm surprised," she sighed, reaching back with a glowing hand to heal the burn. "I know that chakra-based seals can't be broken or damaged with things like that...but I thought it was worth a try-"

Sakura's voice died. Her eyes widened. Her throat worked, as though she wanted to scream but was trying to not to. Sasuke's eyes darted to the seal. And sure enough, it was glowing – Itachi was making Sakura pay for their attempt to eradicate his seal.

Sakura dropped to her knees, gritting her teeth, her hands digging furrows into the dirt as her fists clenched. At first, Sasuke thought it was no worse than the pain Itachi had dealt Sakura after she'd first contacted Mikiko; he thought it wouldn't last long, and she'd be able to overcome it.

But then Sakura started to scream. A horrific, tortured wail that raised the hairs on the back of Sasuke's neck, instinct telling him human vocal chords were not meant to contort in that way. It was a sound he was sure no human being should ever have to make...least of all Sakura.

And that worst of it was that he didn't know what to do. He remembered when he was sealed, remembered the pain that had coursed through his body before he had mercifully passed out. He wondered for a moment if Sakura was feeling what he had felt, then decided it was probably worse; Itachi's intention was to cause agony – it wasn't a side effect of the seal's infliction, it was one of the seal's purposes.

Sakura had held him then...if he couldn't do anything else, he should at least do the same.

Hesitantly, hoping he wasn't about to get tossed into the trees for it, Sasuke looped an arm around Sakura's shoulders and pulled her against him. Deprived of the ground as an anchor, her hands fisted in his shirt almost immediately, and he used it to maneuver her closer to him. The embrace was awkward; Sasuke wasn't quite sure what to do, and Sakura's body was stiff with pain, but she didn't pull away, and the Uchiha supposed that was the best he could hope for.

Her screaming didn't abate, the tension in her body didn't leave, but Sasuke didn't let go. He didn't know how this could possibly be helping her, but as long as she didn't move, he wasn't going to either.

Sasuke didn't know how long he sat there, in his family's old training grounds, with a screaming Sakura in his arms, feeling useless and enraged and sick at heart. But eventually, Sakura's screams died to whimpers, which trailed away to choked gasps.

As Sakura drifted down from the pain-filled haze she'd been embroiled in, she realised two things at once. Firstly, that her body felt like a limp noodle, as though the sudden lack of pain and adrenaline had turned all her muscles to water. Secondly, that she was being held in Sasuke's arms.

The second was so surprising that she half-rose in shock, but her arms had no sooner begun to push against his chest then they folded like wet straw and sent her toppling back into his grasp.

"Are you alright?" She heard Sasuke ask, and felt his voice rumble through his chest where her head rested against it.

"I think all my bones have melted," Sakura mumbled.

"What?"

There was real alarm in Sasuke's voice, and Sakura tried to reassure him, "Not literally. But I feel...tired...like I just ran a marathon...all the way around Fire Country...through a river of treacle..."

Sasuke wondered if he was expected to release her now. But she wasn't actively trying to move away and he didn't feel like letting her go, so he didn't move.

Sakura was a little surprised Sasuke hadn't released her already. Not that she was complaining; she felt very comfortable, his scent was familiar and the heartbeat pounding gently next to her ear was reassuring. After the cessation of the agony Itachi had inflicted on her, the relief was so great she almost found herself slipping into a light doze.

"Sakura..." Sasuke hesitated to ask her, especially while she was in such a state, but something had been niggling at him for a while. "How did Itachi learn about you?"

"Huh?"

"Tsunade told us it was Itachi who tried to kidnap you when you were a child...but how did he learn about you in the first place?"

Sakura frowned. "You don't remember? He frightened me away when he found us in these very training grounds."

"_What?_" This was news to Sasuke. He couldn't remember ever having encountered Sakura before the massacre, and here she was telling him they'd met months before?

"I followed a rabbit through an old fence," Sakura narrated, her eyes still closed. "And I found a boy I recognised vaguely from the academy, practicing with shuriken." A small smile flickered on Sakura's face. "I was scared at first; in my experience, while the girls were the ones who teased and taunted, the boys were the ones who hit me and shoved me around. But when I turned to go you called out to stop me, asking how I'd gotten into the grounds. I told you about the rabbit and the fence, and it somehow ended with you trying to teach me how to throw shuriken."

Sakura chuckled a little, as if she could see the scene playing itself out in front of her. "I was thrilled. Given my encounters with my cousins, I wasn't used to anyone being nice to me, but you didn't even get mad at the fact I'd wandered on to your family's grounds and interrupted your practice."

Sasuke was a little surprised his eight year old self had been so kind. But he knew he'd been much nicer as a child; sweeter, softer. He wasn't a fool – he knew the massacre had hardened something inside him, made him cold and mistrustful where he had once been warm. He knew it made him seem severe, even cruel, he knew there were many times in life when what he wanted to do wrestled with the urge to conceal what he thought and felt, like a gambler hiding his cards...

Sometimes, he wished he could go back to the way he was before Itachi's betrayal.

And Sakura's story was stirring something inside him, a wisp of memory, of a laughing green-eyed girl with a dirty face and muddy hands who had trouble holding the shuriken properly...

"But that girl had brown hair," he found himself saying.

"You do remember!" Sakura beamed, enough strength returning to her so that she could slip from his grasp and prop herself upright. "And you remember what happened afterwards, right?"

Sasuke nodded. He remembered the day wearing onwards, the shadows lengthening. Just as he had been thinking about going back, and telling the girl she should go home to avoid being caught by another of his family, Itachi had appeared.

"Itachi said you were trespassing," Sasuke recalled. "He told you to leave."

Sasuke didn't mention that after she'd left, he'd protested Itachi's doing so, asking him why he'd 'scared the girl with the pretty eyes'.

"It wasn't really what he said," Sakura explained. "I'd heard far more vicious things; it was the way he was looking at me. Like he was a starving wolf and I was a trussed-up piglet. I could see in his eyes that he knew what I was, but he wasn't looking disgusted or appalled; it was worse. I didn't have a name for that look, but I knew that I had to get as far away from him as I could. And I felt that he was...bad, somehow. Like he was all twisted up inside. That feeling scared me even more than the look he gave me, so I bolted."

Sasuke was frowning again. "How could you have had brown hair?"

"Well..." Sakura looked down, a little embarrassed at her childish ideas. "You know how my cousins were...that day, I sort of got it into my head that the only reason they didn't like me was because my pink hair made me look like a Faerie, so I went to the river and smeared mud all through my hair until it looked brown."

Sasuke nodded. The girl in his memory had muddy hands and a dirt-streaked face, obviously gained when Sakura had performed her amateur dye-job.

It also explained why he'd never seen that girl again, though he'd looked for her in the academy, wanting to see if she'd remembered what he'd said about holding the shurikens. But he'd been looking for brown hair, so the green-eyed girl with bright pink hair had gone unnoticed.

"Come to think of it," Sakura began, "I bet that's why you didn't recognise me in the academy the next day. I thought you'd just forgotten – and it's not like we exchanged names, so while I knew who you were, you probably had no idea who I was."

"How did you know who I was?"

"When I went back home, Dad took one look at me and practically threw me in the bath tub. He scrubbed the mud out of hair and scolded me, saying he never wanted to see me changing who I was for anyone's good opinion ever again. But he could see I was rattled, so eventually he asked me what had happened, and I told him about meeting a nice boy who taught me how to hold shuriken, and his scary brother. He pressed me for details, I gave them, and he told me that I'd encountered Uchiha Sasuke and his older brother, and under no circumstances was I to trespass on Uchiha property again."

"And you listened to him?" Sasuke could help the note of disbelief that sneaked into his voice. He couldn't help but remember the younger Sakura and her die-hard crush; if she'd known how to sneak into his training grounds, why had she never taken advantage of that?

"Of course I listened. I may have only been eight years old, but I knew when my parents were serious; I knew that there were some rules you didn't break no matter what. Not telling anyone about my Faerie heritage was one of them. Not setting foot on the Uchiha grounds became another. Looking back on it, that rule was probably just Dad's efforts to ensure I didn't encounter Itachi again."

"You think he knew what Itachi was going to do?"

"I think he knew, from my description of the way he looked at me, that Itachi could be a danger to me. And so, like any good father, he did what he could to stop me encountering that danger again."

Sakura snickered, remembering her father's despair at her crush on Sasuke. The pain and exhaustion had obviously loosened her tongue, because she actually spoke the next words that came into her head, "Poor Dad nearly had a heart-attack when he found out that little incident had me crushing on you something fierce."

Sasuke blinked. "That...started it all?"

The subtle probe for more information made Sakura bitterly regret her runaway tongue. But she had become an expert in not showing what was really on her mind around Sasuke, and so went on, "The others may have gone for your looks or something like that, but my crush had a basis in something more substantial, thank you."

She tossed her head, faking high dignity. "Even back then, I was sensible enough not to like a man for his looks or skills or something so shallow. I wasn't used to being able to make friends, not without Ino to help smooth the way, and you helped me throw shuriken even though you didn't know my name."

Another blink as Sasuke tried to process what he'd just learned. He'd always assumed that Sakura's crush had simply been the usual attraction to the rich boy or the pretty face, and to be told that it was actually because he'd been kind to her at an age when few people wanted anything to do with her...

He wasn't sure what kind of difference that made, he only knew that there _was_ a difference. A significant one.

Not that it really mattered, anyway. Sakura's choice of words hadn't escaped him; 'had', 'back then'...all past tense. Whatever feelings she'd once had for him were long dead; and they would probably never be resurrected if she had any intelligence at all.

And he was talking about the woman who hadn't needed to cheat to answer the written part of the Chunin exam.

Sakura was proud of the ability she had developed over the years; that of being able to talk of her feelings without lying. Ninjas became rather attuned to lies, so she made sure that no blatant falsehood ever passed her lips. It was easy enough; you just had to be careful in your choice of words.

Everything she had said was the absolute truth, as was her use of past tense. She didn't have a crush on Sasuke anymore – a crush was intense but fleeting, and if pain came from it, the wound was quickly healed.

Love was much worse.

_'Stupid, treacherous heart...who gave you permission to fall in love, anyway?'_ Sakura thought, allowing herself a moment of bitterness. It was the best way to manage emotions, she'd found. Acknowledge it, allow yourself to feel it, and it has more chance of passing quickly. But deny it, try to suppress it...and it will fester and simmer, finally boiling over.

_'Who stays in love for almost eight years, anyway?'_ she mused._'It shouldn't happen. It's unnatural, and just plain stupid.'_

"Well, thanks for trying, Sasuke," Sakura said at last, finally succeeding in gaining her feet. "It was worth a shot, I guess."

"Are..." Sasuke wasn't quite sure how to word it. He thinned his lips, and tried again. "Are you going to be alright?"

There was frighteningly little joy in Sakura's smile. "I'll survive."

That didn't make Sasuke feel any better.

-xxx-

Mikiko was gentle by nature. Almost all tree nymphs were; when you lived for centuries so connected to the land, you tended to develop patience and understanding. Her brief jaunt in the human world had only cultivated those qualities, not dampened them.

Mikiko was gentle by nature. But she was also protective of what she loved. And at the moment, that same protective instinct was urging her to go out and wreck some havoc among her own people, just to knock some sense into their stone-hard heads.

Some Faerie believed that Skwall was moving against the human realm, but they were few and far between. The majority scoffed at her for even suggesting it. While Mikiko could admit general opinion of her had fallen significantly since her decision to marry Sotaro – and it had fallen even further when she insisted on keeping the child they had accidentally conceived – she was still incredulous that they could dismiss the Faerie's Lord concerns so easily.

Did she have to drag them in front of Skwall himself before they believed?

"Idiotic morons," she hissed.

"That's rather harsh," came the Faerie Lord's voice.

Mikiko jumped a little, whirling around to see Cohen standing behind her.

"Well, they deserve it," she muttered darkly.

"I did not dispute the accuracy of the assessment," Cohen remarked mildly. "I simply said it was harsh."

"Why can't they see it?" Mikiko practically growled. "I can understand why they might think _I'm_ lying – popular opinion doesn't hold my views in high regard – but you?"

"You know how sensitive I am to the land," the Faerie Lord shrugged. "They think I am mistaking a smaller-scale disaster for Skwall's return." A slightly contemptuous snort told Mikiko what he thought of that.

Mikiko shook her head, amazed all over again at the Faerie's blindness.

All the Faerie were connected to a part of the land, a small portion that spoke to them and they could speak back to. Like a small corner of the natural world that they could make theirs. Tree nymphs had their forests, water nymphs had their rivers...

But Cohen was different. One of the oldest of the Faerie, he was said to have been created by Haevyn's own hands. And it was not a small corner of the land he could hear, but all of it. The mountains, the valleys, the streams, the forests...he could fit himself into the pattern of the world with no thought at all, as though it had always been a part of him.

But to know a land's joys was to know its sorrows as well. To know life was to know death, and in Mikiko's opinion, if Cohen said that Skwall had returned, the Faerie should believe him!

"Your daughter was attacked, was she not?" the Faerie Lord suddenly asked, his gaze gaining a sharp edge as he looked at the nymph.

Mikiko nodded miserably.

"I felt it," Cohen continued. "I felt when Skwall rose, I felt it when he set foot on the human realm for the first time, I felt it when he attacked your daughter...and I felt your daughter's response."

"Sakura's response?" Mikiko parroted.

"She hurt him, Treesinger. Did she tell you?"

She nodded again.

"She hurt him," Cohen repeated slowly, as if tasting and weighing each word. "Just for a moment, but she hurt him. After centuries of Faerie hurling every ritual working and magic spell we can at him, your child touches him and he screams as though dealt a mortal wound. Why do you think that is?"

Mikiko shook her head, struck mute. When Sakura had mentioned being able to hurt Skwall, Mikiko had been astonished, yes, but that astonishment had soon been pushed aside in the ensuing wave of fear and concern when she told Mikiko about the seal. But now that the Faerie Lord was discussing it, she realised what Cohen was saying was true. How could Sakura have injured Skwall when so many Faerie had tried and failed?

"But he still sealed her," she said at last. "Sakura told me she's been trying to get rid of it – she even tried burning it off – but she can't do a thing. She's going to keep trying, of course, but sometimes I think..."

Mikiko trailed off, and shook her head again. She licked her lips, and voiced the deepest fear in her heart, "I think that...that this sealing...might be permanent. That there might be no way to get rid of it. That she'll never be able to touch her Faerie powers again."

Cohen frowned, and debated with himself for a moment whether it was his right to say what was in his heart. But he told himself that it was likely he was the only one who had noticed it, and so went on, "Treesinger...have you ever considered that your daughter was happier being sealed?"

"_What?_"

"Hear me out," he said sternly. "We have had proof that your child's connection to the land is unusually strong, especially so considering she is only half-Faerie. You told me yourself that you saw plants other than the sakura grow under her behest, when not even full-blood nymphs are capable of commanding plants other than their own."

Mikiko shrugged a little in agreement, still feeling defensive but willing to play along.

"Have you ever thought that perhaps that level of connection to the land and the lives around her is not comfortable...that it is even capable of causing her pain?"

Judging by the nymph's astonished expression, Cohen thought such an idea had never occurred to her. But why would it? Her connection to the land wasn't damaging, and she'd had no reason to suppose that her daughter's might be any stronger than hers.

He would have thought she might have had some suspicion, but it seemed no hint of such a thought had ever whispered through her mind. Apparently, only he – whose connection had already wounded him in more ways than one – could recognise the signs.

"If you ask your husband about your daughter's behavior about a year before the sealing, he will tell you that she was quiet, unusually so, but surprisingly sweet for a child her age. He will tell you that after she was sealed, her unusually mature attitude gradually faded, until she was no longer acting like an adult in a child's body, but more like the other children her age. Fidgeting once more, instead of sitting in complete stillness, laughing joyously instead of simply smiling silently. Seeming truly happy again, instead of having a touch of sorrow hovering in her eyes."

"What are you saying?" Mikiko asked, a touch of anger in her voice. "It was probably just a phase – all children go through them."

"An oddly-timed phase, wouldn't you say?" Cohen pointed out. "But I don't blame you for thinking so; you and your husband expected it to be a phase, and so you both wrote her behavior off as such, without ever suspecting there might be a deeper cause."

Mikiko resented the implication that she had somehow been lax in her care for her daughter, but curiosity and worry for Sakura overwhelmed that resentment. "What was the deeper cause?"

"Her powers had grown to the point that she was beginning to feel not only the plants, but every living thing around her," Cohen said softly. "When the academy instructor took the girls flower-picking, she was sad because she felt each time a flower died. She cried when your husband took her past the hospital because she felt the pain and sickness of the people inside. She was quiet because she was listening to the patterns of life and death in the world around her as clearly as if she were hearing music from a radio. She was sweet and patient because she could feel every life around her; human, animal and plant...and with that feeling, came_understanding_."

Mikiko flinched slightly. The Faerie Lord had spoken the word 'understanding' as though it were the greatest sorrow any person could ever bear.

"Your sealing was gradual, wasn't it?" he asked, with a change in tone so abrupt the nymph started slightly.

"Yes – it had to be," Mikiko replied. "I made it so the seal would take away her power in tiny increments, like sand through an hourglass. I didn't want to snatch it away all at once and scare her."

"But barely two weeks into the sealing, your daughter was cut off from her powers altogether wasn't she? Do you know why that was?"

"Sotaro said she was sick. I assumed that with her body weakened, the seal moved faster than it should have and sealed her powers entirely."

"And did your husband ever mention that the night Sakura...fell ill, as you believe...was the very night of the famed Uchiha Massacre?"

Mikiko knew her mouth was hanging loose, but she couldn't help it. Some part of her wanted to ask why that was important, but another part was telling her it was very significant, though she didn't know why.

"I dwell in the Otherworld, Treesinger, and even I flinched at the feel of so many lives extinguished so abruptly, extinguished in hatred, resentment, and betrayal...extinguished on Skwall's command. What do you suppose your daughter felt, when it happened in her very village?"

Mikiko stared, feeling as though everything she had ever believed about Sakura was crumbling around her.

"Your daughter was exhausted that night," Cohen narrated, his eyes unfocused as though he were looking back in time, back to the night that destroyed so many lives. "Your husband prepared an early dinner, and she fell asleep almost immediately afterwards. But then she woke, screaming at the top of her lungs and thrashing in the bed. Your husband went to her, but found her inconsolable; she wouldn't stop screaming, wouldn't stop crying. He realised she had a high temperature, and assumed it was a fever-dream that was so terrifying her. He held her until she passed out, tended to her as she lay sick in her bed...she recovered after a few days...but never displayed a trace of Faerie power again."

The Faerie Lord's lips twitched in a sad smile, almost of pity. "What you and your husband didn't know, Treesinger, is that your child began to scream the moment the first Uchiha fell. She didn't scream from a fever-dream, she screamed because she felt dozens of lives being snuffed out like candles, and she was too young to know how to shield herself from such pain. She appeared sick because her mind was sick; she was damaged...scarred...by what she had felt that night, and that was the only way her body knew to react to it – to act as though it were fighting infection even though it was her mind that was trying to heal."

Cohen shook his head, feeling another wave of sympathy as he remembered what he had felt from Sakura that night. She had screamed and cried in Sotaro's arms because she could feel those murders; she had felt them as a darkness deeper than the blackest night, deeper than death (for it was a hundred deaths, not just one), a darkness that reached out to her, clawed at her, tried to pull her down and claim her.

Her knew that the only reason Sakura didn't go mad that night was because Sotaro had been there. Her father had held her, rocked her as if she were a toddler, and whispered soothing words to her. It had not been enough to make it stop hurting, it had not been enough to even dim the sensation a little...but it had been enough to hold the madness at bay. In the storm of hatred and pain and death and terror, her father's love had been an anchor; something stable and cool, something she had held fast to, something that had helped her survive.

Her mind, having come so close to fracturing, could not heal in an instant. So the fever persisted, the body's sickness a reflection of the mind's sickness rather than an ailment in itself. And when her fever broke, it wasn't the seal that had cut her off from her Faerie powers...

It was Sakura herself.

Teetering on the edge of that infinite blackness, too young and inexperienced to know how to dim her powers without erasing them, Sakura had chosen the only path that could save her from madness. And that was to cut her connection to the land; to bury her power and abilities as deep as she could, smothering and suppressing them until she could never touch them again, until they could never hurt her again...

Because feeling nothing was better than feeling that kind of pain. Like a man seeing a sight so hideous and hateful he couldn't bear to see anything again, and blinded himself so he never would.

And in her own way, Sakura had crippled herself just as surely as the blind man. For when she woke, the blockade against her powers was as much her doing as Mikiko's.

Eventually, as the world turned on and her memory dimmed, Sakura probably began to think of that night as a fever-dream too. But the blockade remained. Her mind might forget, but deeper than her conscious memory, as deep as instinct, she remembered what it felt like to hurt beyond hurting, to hurt deep in your soul, as though your very being would be rent apart and crumbled into dust. And when she grew older, and the seal weakened, and she reached for her power again...that deep memory was still there, holding her back.

She might not even be aware of it, but it was there. She could use her smaller abilities, for they held no risk of greater connection and understanding. She could touch the edges of her power, but she couldn't use the true core of it. Sakura could only tap that deep power when she feared something else more than the pain her power could bring.

Not her own death, for that darkness was more frightening than a thousand deaths...but perhaps the death of a comrade? Cohen found it interesting that the one time Sakura managed to hurt Skwall was when he had been about to kill her companion.

But Cohen said nothing of this to Mikiko. She didn't need him to add to her worries; what he'd already given her was enough.

"But...why didn't she tell anyone?" Mikiko breathed, breaking into his thoughts. "About what she was feeling...about the connection?"

"When she was a child, she probably thought you felt it too, and her bond with the land was nothing out of the ordinary. Then when her seal began to erode, and you told her that her powers were unusual, she hadn't yet touched enough of her power to regain such awareness before Skwall sealed her once more."

The nymph nodded vaguely, looking as though he'd tipped her whole world on its axis. And in a way, he supposed he had.

"Do you think the Faerie might be persuaded by the humans?" she asked, as though their previous conversation had never happened. "If Sakura and some of her friends came here...could they persuade the Faerie to go to arms?"

Cohen shrugged. "I think it's unlikely...but they could try."

-xxx-

"That's it..." Ino murmured as she wobbled a little on Hatchling's back. "Good girl...careful...easy..."

Ino was trying to accustom her Daemon to being ridden. When the dragon was smaller, she used to drape herself on Hatchling's back and neck, but she had never tried to actually sit on Hatchling's back until today. Hatchling had passed draft horse size, and was now surely strong enough to support Ino's entire weight and carry her along.

Ino wasn't going to risk flying on Hatchling's back until the dragon was larger and stronger, but felt she could certainly accustom the dragon to being ridden as she walked along the ground.

Except that, far from accustoming Hatchling to it, Ino realised she the one who needed to learn.

Hatchling had seemed a little confused at first, wondering at the constant weight on her back, but had soon accepted it as something Ino had asked of her, and thus, her duty to do. But Ino found that it was more awkward to ride on a dragon's back than she thought; the scales were slippery, and while Ino had ridden horses on occasion, the sinuous movement beneath her now was nothing like a horse's jolting gait. She had to clutch at Hatchling's neck to keep from sliding off it onto the ground. Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to sit on Hatchling's shoulder, with her legs draped on either side of the dragon's scaly neck? But where else could she sit?

"Easy..." Ino muttered, more to herself than to Hatchling. "I'm going to have to get used to this..."

Still, they said the way to learn was by doing, so Ino vowed to ride Hatchling clear across the village. She'd learn how to do this; she just needed some practice, that was all.

"Good girl," Ino added, patting the scaled shoulder she was sitting on. "Let's go down to the flower shop, now..._forward_!"

She tapped her heels twice against Hatchling's shoulders, clinging tightly as the dragon surged forward. She'd trained Hatchling much the same way as a horse, except with a combination of verbal commands as well as physical cues. When Ino tapped her heels against Hatchling's shoulders and ordered 'forward', Hatchling moved forward, and when she slid her legs forward to press her heels against the dragon's chest and said 'whoa', Hatchling stopped. They were still working on the commands to turn, but Ino knew it wouldn't be long before the dragon learned those as well.

The blonde grinned as Hatchling ambled down the street, attracting more than one curious stare. As she passed the ice cream parlour she caught sight of Tenten and Sakura, sitting at one of the outside tables. She waved, and they waved back, smiling.

The movement of her wave nearly sent her lurching from Hatchling's back, and Ino had to seize the dragon's neck to right herself.

_'I need a saddle,'_ she thought ruefully, then brightened as soon as the idea formed in her head. _'Hey, that's an idea! I bet the Hokage could get someone to make a saddle for me!'_

"Change of plans, girl," Ino told Hatchling as she urged her on past the flower shop. "We're seeing Lady Tsunade!"

Of course, Hatchling didn't understand a word of what Ino said, but she _did_ know that when Ino gave the command 'forward', she kept moving until Ino told her to stop. And since Ino hadn't told her to stop, she kept on walking right past the flower shop, heading towards the administrative building several streets down.

-xxx-

Sakura had been feeling down for a while, and if Tenten had learned anything over the years, it was that ice cream and chocolate could improve anyone's mood.

They'd chatted companionably, grimacing as they discussed the battle yesterday, when the people of Konoha had faced shades for the first time. They had been few in number, but they had been near-impossible to get close to. Because they could manipulate any shadow around them, their attackers could suddenly find their own shadow turning on them, clawing with dark, strangely-solid talons, or reaching up to break their necks.

'Like Shikamaru on steroids', had been Ino's colourful description.

It hadn't helped that the shades had targeted the academy in an effort to wipe out the next generation of ninjas. Fortunately, the attack had happened on a day when Hinata and Neji had been asked in to give a talk on some of the older clan traditions in Konoha.

While the battle had been lengthly and vicious, there were surprisingly few casualties. Some students were in the makeshift hospital for the night, but none had actually been killed...though one of their teachers had. While Sakura felt regret for the loss of a fellow shinobi, some part of her was glad it hadn't been Iruka; Naruto wouldn't have handled that well.

And now, they knew how to fight shades. Like the wraiths, chakra was apparently their weak point. But unlike the wraiths, chakra actually appeared to damage them, not just cause momentary pain. Hinata and Neji had been very effective against them, and when Naruto broke out his Kyuubi chakra he'd sent them running.

The injuries gained were not particularly severe; Neji had a bruised throat where one tried to snap his neck, Hinata had a sprained wrist from when she had shielded one of the students with her own arm, and since Naruto had been using the Kyuubi's chakra all his injuries had healed up almost as soon as he got them.

Sakura felt a smile pull at her lips as she remembered the way Naruto had hovered over Hinata, worrying like cat with one kitten. All ninja (both male and female) seemed inherently protective of their lovers – Sakura supposed the life they led made them so – but Naruto's own experiences made him more protective than most.

Hinata had put up with it for ten minutes, as though hoping he would burn himself out. But when his stream of anxious chatter showed no sign of stopping, she had simply sighed and rapped him gently on the top of his head, snapping his jaw shut and allowing her to get a word in edge ways.

She'd explained that it was a sprained wrist, not a fatal wound, and she wouldn't let him hover over her and wear himself out. Naruto had argued the point rather half-heartedly but eventually caved in; he'd learned what it meant when Hinata got _that _look in her eyes.

"So how's Neji?" Sakura asked. "Lady Tsunade told him to rest for a few days while his throat recovers; I can't imagine he's happy about that. Does he even understand the concept of 'rest'?"

She could remember Lady Tsunade trying to heal the strained muscles and tendons in Neji's neck, only to have the Hyuuga trying to argue that the injury wasn't serious, and she should treat the others, until Tsunade threatened to break both his legs just to make him sit still. Something told her he would be doing anything but taking it easy.

"Neji understands the concept of rest, just not as it applies to him," Tenten snickered. "He actually came knocking on my door, asking me why I wasn't at the training grounds at the usual time. I read him the riot act about neck injuries and recovery periods, but I doubt he listened."

"He'd probably be more inclined to take your advice than Lady Tsunade's," Sakura pointed out.

"How do you figure?"

"He likes you better."

"_What?_"

"Not that it's surprising, really; Neji seems to like you better than anyone else he knows."

"It's just because we had to train together, with Gai always trying to help Lee out and all," Tenten mumbled. "It's just acclimatisation; you know, getting used to something because you have to."

"If you say so."

"I do."

"Thanks for the ice cream, by the way," Sakura grinned, digging out another generous spoonful of her sundae. "I think I really needed the sugar rush."

Tenten nodded, but then froze, her eyes fixed on a point beyond Sakura's shoulder, and her face went as dark as a thundercloud.

Sakura swiveled in her chair, to see Neji making his way down the street, looking a little the worse for wear. It seemed he had indeed been training, despite his lack of a sparring partner.

Tenten plunged her spoon into her own ice cream as violently as if she were slamming a kunai into the table, and left it there as she stood and strode over to her teammate, eyes flashing.

Sakura grinned, anticipating a free show. She had the urge to grip the back of her chair and peer over it with wide eyes like a five year old watching an argument. She'd learnt that one of Tenten's biggest worries was always her teammates' welfare; and considering that both Neji and Lee had a reputation for pushing themselves to the limit and then some (rather like Naruto and Sasuke, really), her concern was probably justified.

"Neji, what do you think you're doing?" Tenten snapped. "Were you off training by yourself? Didn't Lady Tsunade tell you to take it easy?"

Neji scowled. "Yes, I was training by myself, since my sparring partner decided to refrain from joining me."

"Oh, no, you are not turning this around on me, Neji! Taking it easy means no training at all; that's why I refused!"

Neji glared at her. His glares had gotten him out of many an argument – something about his scowling face and famously blank Hyuuga eyes just seemed to frighten people enough so that they forgot why they'd been arguing with him in the first place. And even if they remembered, the glare usually made them think twice about pursuing the argument.

"Go glare at someone you can actually intimidate, Neji, and explain what you're doing!"

The trouble was, Tenten had always seemed immune to his glares; looks that would have sent even Lee scurrying for cover merely set her rolling her eyes. In a way, it was good thing; Neji could admit he liked that she wasn't intimidated by him. But it could be very frustrating in other ways; it meant that there was no way out of situations like these, as there was little chance of getting Tenten to back down.

Sakura watched with more than a little amusement as Tenten and Neji argued out the benefits of allowing the body to rest versus the benefits of constant training. She wondered if she was the only one who noticed the way Neji's eyes softened at the edges when he looked at Tenten, or the way the firm lines around his mouth smoothed even as they argued.

Tenten seemed to have absolutely no idea, but maybe it was easier to see such things when you weren't emotionally involved with the person in question.

Sakura could tell Naruto was deeply in love with Hinata, she could tell Shikamaru was a lot more fond of Ino than his repeated 'troublesome's would have people believe, and she knew that Neji had a soft spot for Tenten (after all, she'd never seen him brushing anyone else's hair).

But she'd probably suck at trying to figure out if Sasuke was in love with someone.

Sakura sighed, allowing herself to feel a touch of bitterness as she watched her newfound friend argue with her possible future boyfriend. At least Tenten had a chance (a very good chance) with the man she loved.

"It would have been so much easier if I could just hate him," Sakura confided to her half-eaten sundae.

Well, maybe not easier, but certainly less painful. She was certain any normal person would have hated Sasuke for breaking their heart...so why couldn't she? She couldn't even muster up an iota of dislike for him; she might dislike certain aspects of his personality, like his arrogance and attachment to monosyllabic answers, but she couldn't dislike _him_.

Sakura sighed again, resolved not to think about it, and dug into her sundae again. Ice cream made everything better.

-xxx-

Sakura blinked dazedly, wondering if that Faerie mind-meld trick was always going to pack that sort of punch. She'd been more prepared for it this time, and managed to use chakra to attach her feet to the branch as she fell, with the result that she was now dangling upside down from the Sacred Sakura, her mind spinning like a hamster in an exercise wheel, trying to process the information it had been swamped with...again.

"What are you doing?" came a voice from below her.

Sakura half-turned her head, though her feet remained firmly rooted to the underside of the branch (she was glad she'd decided to wear shorts today).

Kakashi was staring up at her, giving her that mildly interested look Kakashi wore when he was really curious.

"Getting a new perspective on life," Sakura quipped, trying to imitate her erstwhile teacher's laconic drawl. And then, because the entire scene suddenly struck her as funny, and because she hadn't had many reasons to laugh lately, she giggled wildly.

Though Kakashi's face was normally a mask of nonchalance, Sakura could practically feel his concern ratchet up a notch.

"Don't worry," she reiterated. "I just got thrown for a loop when Mum did the mind-mash on me again. It packs a bit of a punch."

Sakura released the chakra bonding her to the tree, flipped in mid-air as she fell, and landed on her feet as neatly as an acrobat.

But the graceful effect was spoiled when she wobbled, still a little dazed.

"Are you okay?" Kakashi asked, his visible eye suddenly becoming piercing.

Sakura sensed there were deeper levels to Kakashi's question than a superficial inquiry as to why she'd stumbled. "I'm doing alright, Kakashi. Naruto, Ino and Tenten have been keeping me cheery...even Sasuke came over the other day."

Kakashi nodded. "What did your mother tell you this time?"

"Just that it might be a good idea for some of us to go the Otherworld and plead our case," Sakura informed him.

Kakashi blinked. "I thought you could only move into the Otherworld during the solstice."

"That's when Mum brings me through the Sacred Sakura. This will be different. The information still needs to rearrange itself into some sort of comprehensible order in my head, but I think there's another way to get to the Otherworld. Apparently Dad tried to visit Mum a couple of times; but it's about a day's travel away, I was too young to travel cross-country on a regular basis, and as I got older his mission schedule increased too much."

"A day's travel?" Kakashi echoed. "So this isn't some sort of metaphysical doorway; it's an actual, physical location?"

"Sort of. It's like a place where the barrier between the worlds is thinnest, so humans can cross there into the Otherworld."

"So why haven't people just accidentally ended up in the Otherworld?"

"Give a few more minutes to sort everything out, but I think it's because you have to _want_ to go to the Otherworld...or something."

Kakashi nodded. "So who will you be taking with you on this little jaunt?"

"Well, I have to get Lady Tsunade to approve it first."

-xxx-

Sakura had explained what Mikiko had imparted to her as best she could. The place she needed to travel to was not so much a weakening of the barriers between the worlds, as the nexus of the worlds' interconnection. The Deepest Well, as it was known, served as a bridge between the human realm, the Otherworld, the Elseworld and a fourth, uncertain grey realm, believed to be where souls went when the body died.

In that context, Sakura could see how Itachi could use his dead friend's spirit to reach Skwall.

"And Mrs. Haruno believes that a small retinue from Konoha may convince the Faerie to help?" Tsunade asked.

Sakura smiled slightly. "It can't hurt, can it?"

Tsunade nodded. "Well, Sakura, as the only human-"

"Half-human."

"Very well, as the only _half-human_ who has set foot in the Otherworld in the last century, who would you recommend besides yourself?"

Sakura thought for a minute. "Anyone with a bloodline ability with origins in Faerie blessings; these are people whose ancestors obviously did something good for the Faerie, so maybe the Faerie will be kindly disposed towards them. So first off, anyone from the Inuzuka, Aburame or Hyuuga clans would be good. Especially the Hyuuga clan; the unicorns always seemed more fond of me than the other Faerie, and I probably have more chance of getting them on my side than anyone else."

"The Inuzuka and Aburame clans are relatively few in number, and we need as many as we can to use their animals to monitor the surrounding countryside. Best to take some Hyuugas."

Sakura nodded. The Hyuuga techniques had been effective against the shades, but there was a lot more Byakugan-users in comparison to the other clans she'd mentioned. "Some?"

"Neji and Hinata, if you like. They'd provide a nice balance between forceful arguments and tactful diplomacy."

"Right." Sakura resisted the urge to fiddle nervously and went on, "It would be good to have someone like Lee or Tenten; someone with no bloodline abilities or family jutsus, to show them what humans are really like."

"I can't give you Lee," the Hokage said bluntly. "Thus far, he's the only one who's had any success in tackling wraiths. I'll give you Tenten."

"That works for me." Sakura had never really expected to get Lee anyway; he simply too crucial to the village's defense at this point in time.

"I'd also like someone with an Elseworld trait," the half-nymph continued. "Just to show them that even those who have received gifts from Skwall want to be rid of him. It would probably have the most effect if I could bring someone with the Sharingan..."

"Take Sasuke," Tsunade shrugged.

Again, Sakura wasn't surprised. Sasuke may be stronger than Kakashi in terms of raw power, but warfare wasn't just about having powerful soldiers; it was also about having people around you that you could trust. Sasuke may have returned to Konoha, and though she may send him on solo missions and on spy assignments, Sakura doubted Tsunade would ever completely trust him again.

But Tsunade might not like what she was proposing next. "And I want Naruto."

The Hokage's eyes narrowed, and Sakura could sympathise. Naruto was one of the village's powerhouses; he was strong, fast, quick in a fight, and had always been loyal to Konoha and his friends. If the blonde man left with them, the group would be depriving the village of some of its strongest ninjas.

"Why?" Tsunade asked at last. "Does the Kyuubi have some sort of affinity with the Otherworld?"

Sakura shook her head. "I want Naruto because...he's Naruto. Because he has a way of turning people to his cause. Because he has a way of making people care. Because I think we have a better chance of succeeding if he's with us."

Tsunade pursed her lips. "And if this does succeed...what kind of force will the Faerie muster?"

"Everything they have," Sakura said bluntly. "At the moment, all the Faerie are adults, ready and willing to fight...if we can just convince them that this really _is_ Skwall returning."

"What do you mean 'all the Faerie are adults'?"

"Because Faerie live for so long, they only reproduce about once a century as a form of population control. My childhood coincided with one of these times, so I made a few Faerie friends my age...and now, while they may not be considered adults by the standards of Faerie society, they'll be mature enough to use their powers to the fullest extent. Sort of like how we're pretty much physically mature by the time we're sixteen, but the law doesn't recognise us as adults until we're eighteen."

Tsunade nodded, and Sakura could see she was weighing the benefits of the loss of Naruto for a while against the military assistance of hundreds of Faerie.

"Alright," she said eventually. "Neji, Hinata, Tenten, Sasuke, and Naruto; that's your team. And since you're the one who knows the most about the Faerie, I'm placing you in charge."

Sakura nodded.

Tsunade paused, then added quietly, "Do you think we have any chance to persuade them?"

Sakura shrugged, but gave her mentor an optimistic smile. "We have to try."

-xxx-

"This is going to be so cool!" Naruto crowed. "We're going to see unicorns and nymphs and all sorts of freaky creatures-"

"We're also going to be traveling through rough terrain with little to no warning before we're attacked by Daemons or even Skwall himself," Sakura cautioned. "It's not really anything to be happy about."

"Where are we going again?" Tenten asked, giving her weapon scrolls one last check before hoisting her pack to her shoulders.

"To the Deepest Well," Sakura reminded.

"Yeah...but where is it?"

"Not really sure," Sakura admitted. "Mum sent me a lot of images; landmarks and the like...I'll be able to find my way, and lead the rest of you, but I couldn't find it on a map."

Hinata blinked. Sasuke stared. Neji seemed about to comment, but Tenten nudged him into silence.

"It _will_ work," Sakura said, feeling a little irritated by their doubt. "Our biggest worry isn't getting lost; it's Itachi finding out what we're doing."

"How would he know?" Hinata asked.

Sakura was blunt. "Because he sealed me. And in terms of Daemon magic, that's a pretty powerful connection. While he probably isn't aware of precisely what I'm doing or exactly where I'm going, he's going to know that I'm moving away from Konoha. I'm just hoping he won't suddenly decide to stop me."

Her tone was joking, but she didn't miss the covert glances at the small of her back, nor the way Sasuke's eyes darkened. He always seemed to take references to her seal harder than anyone else; maybe he thought he had been defeated in some way when he failed to burn it off?

A light drizzle started as they stepped out of Konoha's gates and into the forest. Sakura tried not to take that as some sort of omen, and tried to quieten the little voice in her head reminding her that Itachi was the _sky_ god.

-xxx-

Barely an hour in, the light drizzle had blown up into a true gale, and Sakura was beginning to think Itachi really _was_ behind this. How else could this storm have come up so suddenly and fiercely out of a clear sky?

Rain lashed at her body, driven nearly horizontal by the wind. She strained her senses, searching for a flicker of chakra or any sign of her teammates. She didn't know when they'd lost each other; all she knew was that she'd looked back nearly fifteen minutes ago to find herself ploughing through the storm alone.

The mud sucked at her feet like quicksand, and Sakura briefly wondered if she should move through the trees instead of the ground. But the storm made the branches dance like writhing snakes, and coupled with the ferocious wind she thought her chances of maintaining her balance were slim to none.

Sakura pressed herself against the lee side of a nearby tree, out of the driving wind. She closed her eyes, blocking out all outward distractions, seeking out any sign of her friends, any flicker of chakra...

But there was nothing. All she felt around her was blackness, a complete absence of chakra, as though she were sitting in the middle of a black hole, or...

Or as though the forest around her was crawling with Daemons.

At that thought, Sakura went stiff, her hand reaching for her kunai. She hadn't felt them arrive, but now that she knew they were there, she wondered how she could ever have missed them. Unless they had infiltrated the woods so slowly and gradually she hadn't realised it. After all, it wasn't like sensing Daemons was like sensing chakra; they were more conspicuous in their complete absence of discernible energy than the energy itself.

Sakura's eyes darted around, searching for some hint of the impending attack. The storm clouds were so dark they obscured the sun, bathing the forest in dim twilight even though it had barely passed noon. But even with the pale light and driving rain, she should have been able to see Daemons bearing down on her.

But there was nothing. Only the sense that they were there, just beyond the line of her rain-blurred vision, waiting. Waiting for what?

And she then felt it. That crushing, terrifying horror; the sense that the very fabric of the world was folding up on itself...

Her seal began to burn.

"**You just don't learn, do you, Sakura?"**


	12. Eradication

**Chapter 12**

**Eradication**

Sasuke cursed savagely, ducking his head in an effort to keep the rain off his face as he forced his way through a thicket. He didn't know where he was or how he had lost the others, and the ferocious storm wasn't improving his mood. He knew that, logically, he should retrace his steps back to Konoha; it wasn't like he could complete the mission by himself – he didn't even know where to find the Deepest Well, let alone how to reach the Otherworld through it. At the very least, he should find shelter and wait out the storm before looking for his teammates.

Under normal circumstances, Sasuke probably would have done just that. But Sasuke was sure these weren't normal circumstances, and he was equally certain the storm wasn't natural.

It had come up far too fast, and turned too savage too quickly; this was Fire Country, they _never_ had storms like this.

Sasuke was convinced that the storm was Itachi's creation. And the fact that it came up just as they were departing suggested the storm was designed to stop them. But not the storm alone; Itachi was smart, he knew that a simple storm wouldn't stop them.

So the storm was probably his instrument to incapacitate Sakura – under the cover of the gale, something would happen to Sakura to make her incapable of leading them to the Deepest Well.

Sasuke was not about to sit back and let that happen.

But first, he had to find his way back to Sakura.

Something flickered on the edge of his vision, a shadows within shadows. Sasuke turned to see a humanoid form, blurred by the rain, vanish behind a tree. The absence of chakra and the unnaturally flexible way of moving could mean only one thing...

He was being stalked by a wraith.

Something cold and hard formed in Sasuke's chest. If wraiths were in the forest...had some Daemon already found Sakura? Had she been hurt? Crippled? Even killed?

Sasuke told himself he had no reason to worry. If Itachi wanted Sakura dead he would have killed her when he brought her to the Elseworld, instead of simply placing a seal on her. Besides, even if Daemons were on her trail, Sakura could take care of herself.

But the chilly knot of worry resting under his ribs didn't leave.

Sasuke forced himself to focus on his own situation. He didn't know how many wraiths were around him, but he was sure there were more than the one he'd seen. Now that he was trying to detect Daemons, he could pick up the cloud of their presence like a dark hole in his senses. Unfortunately, as Daemons didn't have a true presence in his senses, he couldn't estimate their numbers.

Another movement; a dark blur that streamed through the rain towards him.

Sasuke twisted aside and leapt into the branches of a tree, using chakra to attach his feet to the wildly swinging boughs. Even then, it was hard to keep his balance in the screaming wind, but he hoped that the treetops might allow him to see more of his attackers.

The entire tree listed beneath his feet, like a ship navigating choppy waters. Sasuke jumped, throwing himself into the wind and rain just as the tree toppled over, ripping through the surrounding branches and crashing down to the mud with a splintering crack.

He couldn't leap for the thrashing branches; instead, he reached for the thick trunk of another tree, gathering chakra into his hands and feet to hold him to the bark as he tried to assess the situation. Something detached itself from the falling tree and hurled itself at him like an arrow shot from a bow.

Sasuke released his grip on the trunk, letting himself fall to the ground, one hand seeking his shuriken, pushing chakra into them as he tossed them upwards. There was precious little chakra contained in them (which would only diminish more the further they traveled from his body), but there should be enough to put a bit of a sting in the blow, and discourage the wraith from following him immediately.

Something shrieked above him as Sasuke landed heavily on the ground.

Under any other circumstances, he would have noticed it. If he wasn't half-blinded by the rain, if the wind wasn't driving mad shadows across the ground in the dim light, if his opponent had been a human – something that possessed chakra – instead of a Daemon...

But as it was, Sasuke didn't notice, and he fell straight into the coils of a shade.

The writhing shadow tightened around his legs like a steel trap, anchoring him to the ground. Sasuke drew his kunai, imbuing the blade with chakra as he slashed at the writhing darkness beneath his feet. But it was hard to know what was a vital spot in a puddle of black.

What was really unnerving was that the damage he was doing to it wasn't persuading the shade to let go. Several weeks of battle with Daemons had taught Sasuke that while the unintelligent ones obeyed orders no matter what, the intelligent ones weren't the self-sacrificing type...so why was the shade still holding on?

Something cracked above his head.

Sasuke looked up just in time to see a broken tree limb, as thick as a telephone pole, falling from the sky.

-xxx-

Tenten curled up amid the branches of a fallen tree (undoubtedly uprooted by the storm). It wasn't much, but it provided a measure of shelter from the stinging wind and freezing rain.

"Stupid storm," she muttered as she glared out at the gale.

She had absolutely no idea where she was, or where the others had gone. She had a bad feeling about this storm, and long years as a kunoichi had taught Tenten to trust her instincts.

So she didn't risk fighting her way through the hail of rain and wind – she'd probably just end up falling off a cliff anyway, with the way the storm limited visibility. It was best to sit in her shelter, wait the storm out, and then try to find her teammates when it blew out.

Tenten tried not to worry about Neji and the others, but when you were hunkered down in the scratchy branches of a fallen tree with nothing to do but stare out at a storm, there was nothing to distract the brain from increasingly negative lines of thought.

_'They'll be fine,'_ Tenten tried to tell herself. _'They'll all be fine...it's not like we're going to be attacked in the forest...'_

Or were they? Over the roar of the storm, Tenten's keen ears caught the sound of movement, and through the rain she could just make out a blurred humanoid form moving through the trees.

Tenten was about to call out...before she realised she hadn't detected any chakra. And that could mean only one thing.

Daemon!

Tenten had no idea exactly what kind of Daemon was out there – it looked like a wraith, but that was only first impression, and she wasn't waiting around for confirmation. If it was indeed a wraith...it was unlikely Tenten could damage it, and she could remember vividly how her last battle with wraiths had turned out.

So she turned, crossed her arms over her head and leapt through the sheltering canopy of branches, her feet finding the trunk of the fallen tree, using chakra to attach herself to the rain-slicked bark. She ran the length of the trunk, away from the wraith-like figure, and leapt for the nearest tree.

Lightning flashed from the sky, and the tree Tenten had been about to land on was riven apart by the bolt of electricity. It passed so close to her that she could feel the air humming, and her scalp prickled as her tightly bound hair tried to stand on end.

Unfortunately, Tenten was no longer hurtling towards a smooth tree limb, but a jagged splinter of dead wood fully capable of impaling her.

It was difficult to change directions in mid-air, but Tenten managed to twist herself so that the splinter sliced against her side and opened a gash as wide as her hand. The wound was serious, but since her previous collision course would have had the splinter ramming straight through her chest, Tenten considered it an improvement.

She tried to hit the ground and roll to minimise the force of impact, but she didn't hit earth...she hit water.

The force of her fall sent her straight through the surface, the shock of the icy water hitting her like a punch to the stomach. Her sight had been so blinded by the pouring rain she'd failed to notice the river, and the sound of rushing water had undoubtedly been lost in the storm.

The current was strong; Tenten found herself swept along like a piece of driftwood, tugged down into the watery darkness. Her side burned as she tried to swim upwards, warm blood striping through the water as she fought to break the surface, her lungs already screaming for air.

-xxx-

When Neji realised his teammates had been lost in the storm, he'd immediately turned around and begun retracing his steps. While Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto and Hinata had been in front of him, he had no idea where they were going. They'd been heading in a roughly straight line, but that was no guarantee Sakura would continue in that direction.

But Tenten had been behind him, and since they'd been moving in one direction thus far, he had the most chance of finding someone if he retraced his steps and tried to find her than if he ploughed onwards and hoped the others had continued in the same direction.

At least, that's how Neji was justifying it to himself.

He squinted into the driving rain – even the Byakugan was largely useless in a situation like this. Because the rain fell in layers, it wasn't like he could just see through the rain; if he tried to look through one layer, there was always another layer after that, and when he tried to see through that one he lost focus on the surrounding environment in that same layer.

Human bodies had distinct layers and were easy to look through to see the chakra network – rain wasn't so simple.

Thinking about the layers of the human body forced Neji to suppress the feeling of part embarrassment, part excitement as he remembered when he'd first begun training his Byakugan to look through the human body. Tenten had been his test subject, after they'd finished a particularly grueling training session and had been snatching a few moments rest in the shade of a tree.

He'd activated his Byakugan and began to scan her body, slowly progressing from bones and organs to the layers of muscle and tendon...and then the skin.

And Neji had found he'd overlooked one very crucial detail. If he was scanning Tenten's body in layers, there would be a layer when he'd see skin...but no clothes of any kind.

Neji could still remember quite vividly what he'd seen that day, and the way the sight seemed to put every thought process in his brain on hold. He'd stared and stared, knowing he shouldn't be doing it, knowing he should look away, but somehow unable to coax his eyes to close, let alone move to the side. In fact, he'd only snapped out of his near-comatose state when Tenten asked him what he was staring at.

He hadn't answered – instead, Neji had bolted home for his first cold shower.

He'd been very careful about using his Byakugan around Tenten after that, but he had never quite been able to erase that image from his mind.

"_Neji!_"

The Hyuuga stiffened. Over the noise of the storm...he thought he'd heard Tenten's voice.

"_Neji, where are you?_"

Neji didn't waste a moment. Judging the approximate direction of the sound, he took off running, crashing through wet bushes and trees without any care to moving silently.

"_Tenten!_" he called, hoping his voice wouldn't be swallowed by the thunder that cracked and rumbled overhead like an avalanche.

"_Neji?_"

Using her voice as homing beacon, he adjusted his headlong flight accordingly, and as he exploded from a thicket he saw Tenten sloshing through the mud in front of him, body hunched against the rain.

Neji was surprised by how palpable the wave of relief that hit him was; so intense it bordered on physical pain.

He was about to reach out for her when he realised one very important fact – he couldn't sense Tenten's chakra.

Neji didn't even think about it. His hand went to his kunai, and the blade was flying through the air before the attack was barely a flicker of a thought.

The weapon embedded itself into the woman's shoulder, and for one sickening moment Neji thought he'd guessed wrong. But then 'Tenten' shrieked, the features of the arm that had been impaled melting like ice cream in the sun, to reveal, just for a moment, a long thin appendage of deepest black.

Neji's mind worked frantically – what had Sakura called the shapeshifting Daemons? Slinkers?

He could see how it deserved that name. With its illusion broken, the slinker didn't bother maintaining it; Tenten's familiar features bled away, revealing a vaguely humanoid figure, unnaturally tall and thin, its limbs tapering to a blunt point instead of fingers or toes. Like the wraiths and shades, its body was completely nondescript...but unlike the other Daemons, it didn't even seem to have eyes or a nose. Just a mouth; a gaping maw of shining teeth in its smooth, otherwise featureless face.

When it darted forward, arms stretching out and mouth opening like a shark's, Neji automatically slipped into the Gentle Fist stance, delivering a series of blows designed to cripple an ordinary human being.

The slinker made a soft choking sound and reeled back, its appendages raising as though in some automatic protective instinct, clutching its chest.

At first, Neji didn't know why it had worked. It had worked on the shades, yes, but it had never seemed to really damage the wraiths...

But then it hit him – slinkers were shapeshifters. Which meant they had to have an actual physical body.

So they could be fought and defeated like any other enemy.

Neji was about to advance on the slinker and press his advantage, but he felt a surge of chakra somewhere in the forest behind him.

For a moment, the advantages of ending the battle weighed against the possibility that one of his teammates could be in jeopardy.

Neji's loyalty won out. He spared the choking slinker an assessing glance to determine that it wasn't in any shape to follow him, then spun on his heel and ran back through the mud and pouring rain, homing in on the chakra signature that hovered at the edge of his senses.

The rain meant that he didn't see Sasuke until he was practically on top of him. The Uchiha seemed to be struggling with what looked like black quicksand, which the Hyuuga realised was actually a shade that had entangled his legs, as a broken branch bore down on him.

Neji didn't waste time. He might not be overly fond of Sasuke personally, but a fellow ninja was a fellow ninja, and if one of your comrades was in danger you did all in your power to save them.

He darted beneath the falling bough and delivered a thundering Gentle Fist to the tree limb that shattered it into tiny wet slivers of wood that rained harmlessly down on them. The shade's destruction swiftly followed.

Sasuke sent him an unreadable look, but Neji wasn't surprised. The Uchiha heir wasn't the sort who thanked you for saving his life; he was more the sort who scowled and insisted he had everything under control.

But Sasuke did neither. While it was hard to tell amid the rain, Neji thought Sasuke's dark eyes flickered over his shoulder, as though looking for someone following him.

Neji realised that Sasuke had lost the others in the rain as well. Something about that struck him as odd; how could both of them have become separated from the group in such a short amount of time?

He was about to speak, but another burst of chakra to the east distracted him. Except this didn't feel like normal chakra – a surge of controlled energy brought to bear like a weapon. This felt like a wellspring of raw power, untamed and ancient...

Without a word passing between them, Neji and Sasuke turned and ran towards it.

-xxx-

Naruto didn't know what had happened. One minute he was right behind Sakura, squinting through the rain to focus on her bright red clothing...and then she was gone, swallowed by the storm. He'd looked behind him, to find that Sasuke, Neji and Tenten had all vanished.

He had the feeling only the fact that he and Hinata were holding hands had prevented them from being separated as well.

He glanced at the woman beside him, watching the driving rain trickle from the ends of her soaking hair and clothes, stray droplets clinging her eyelashes like tiny gems. She'd tried to use her Byakugan earlier, only to find that her bloodline ability was near-useless in the current weather. With the dim light – only broken by occasional flashes of lightning – and the pounding rain, her ordinary eyesight was about as effective, and wouldn't squander chakra.

It might have been Naruto's imagination, or just the sound of the rain falling through the leaves, but for a moment he thought he could hear something moving in the forest around them.

"Did you hear that?" Hinata asked, half-turning towards the sound.

"Think someone's just as lost as us?" Naruto grinned, feeling raindrops ping off his teeth before he titled his head back and bellowed, "_ANYONE OUT THERE?_"

Silence.

"Naruto..." Hinata breathed, and the blonde was instantly on alert. He knew that tone – that was Hinata's_'I've just come to a potentially dangerous realisation but am remaining calm'_ tone.

"I can't sense their chakra," the Hyuuga whispered, barely audible over the storm. "Can you feel anything?"

Naruto strained his senses, searching for some hint, some flicker of chakra...but there was nothing.

"Maybe they're suppressing it..." But there was little conviction in his voice. Even if their friends were worried about being detected by enemies, when they heard Naruto's shout they would have ceased suppressing their chakra to guide them...or at least, called back to him.

So that meant...

"Daemons?"

"I think so," Hinata said. "It feels like them, at least."

"Wraiths?" Naruto murmured, unconsciously gripping Hinata's hand a little tighter. "Shades?"

"Neither," came a voice from behind them. A voice that sounded thin and sick, and the single word was punctuated by a harsh cough.

Naruto spun, automatically moving to place himself between Hinata and the speaker, then sheepishly allowing her to move to take her usual place at his side. No matter how many times she scolded him for it, or how often he told himself Hinata was a powerful fighter in her own right, putting his body between her and danger seemed to be instinctive; a habit he just couldn't seem to break.

The creature that had spoken looked like a human man...only if that was really a man, Naruto was quite sure he wouldn't have been able to get out of bed. He was so thin his hands and feet seemed enormous, and practically every inch of his sickly sallow skin was covered in open, weeping sores. He grinned, revealing rotten teeth as his blistered lips cracked, blood and pus mixing with the rainwater and running down his chin.

Naruto had seen far more disgusting sights in his lifetime, but there was something about this creature made his stomach squirm uncomfortably, a wave of nausea threatening. Even through the rain, he noticed that the grass and flowers near the creature's feet look withered and sick.

"It's that thing Sakura told us about," he muttered to Hinata. "You know, the one that makes things sick?"

Hinata nodded. "Blightbringer."

"The lady knows me," Blightbringer rasped, blowing a mocking kiss in Hinata's direction.

Naruto gave a rather vulpine sounding growl, and Hinata tightened her grip on his hand to hold him back. She learned early on in their relationship that Naruto's protective instincts were something he just couldn't seem to control. At least now it seemed to have toned down to just an initial impulse that somehow managed at be both frustrating and heart-warming at the same time; nowadays, Naruto seemed almost embarrassed when he caught himself moving between her and danger.

Hinata opened her mouth to ask what Blightbringer was here for (she didn't think he would answer, but it was one of those things you just did) but the Daemon's expression went from confident and mocking to grim and determined in the space of a second, and all Hinata saw was a pale blur in the air as he lunged forward, one stick-like arm slamming into Naruto's stomach.

She activated her Byakugan on reflex, thrusting her palm forward in an effort to catch Blightbringer in the chest. But the blow never connected; the Daemon had already darted away. To Hinata's surprise, he was making no effort to engage them in actual battle – he had come to rest on the edge of the clearing, and was simply watching them with something like hungry pleasure in his eyes.

Hinata was about to start forward, when Naruto's voice stopped her.

"What did you do?"

She turned, surprised at the fear in the blonde's voice. Naruto was clutching his stomach, his face twisted in terror, his eyes wide...and beginning to tint red. She could feel a sudden surge in his chakra, only it didn't truly feel like Naruto's chakra – this felt primal and violent.

A inkling of understanding worked its way into Hinata's mind, and she followed it. With one eye still on Blightbringer, she laid her hand on Naruto's, gently easing it open from the tense fist it had curled into so she could push up his shirt.

The seal on Naruto's stomach – the seal that locked the Kyuubi away – was pulsing. It seemed to writhe across his skin, like a wild horse trying to break a tether.

"_What the hell did you do?_" Naruto practically screamed at the Daemon.

"I am capable of tearing souls free of their bodies," Blightbringer grinned, the rain muffling his words slightly. "It is a simple matter to allow a trapped soul free reign."

Hinata went cold. Naruto's shout of fury sounded more like a snarl.

"It won't last too long," Blightbringer told him. "But long enough for you to kill her," he nodded at Hinata.

Naruto lunged forward, but then dropped to his knees, bent double as he fought the Kyuubi for control of his body.

Blightbringer grinned obscenely at Hinata. "Nothing personal, honey, but you and your friends are about to die in a rather messy way."

He turned and vanished into the storm. Hinata was torn between staying with Naruto or pursuing the Daemon on the off-chance she could force him to right whatever he'd done to Naruto's seal, when she felt two chakra signatures approaching them at high speed.

Sasuke and Neji burst into the clearing just as Naruto's hold on the Kyuubi began to slip.

-xxx-

"**You are either remarkably forgetful or remarkably stubborn,"** Itachi mused. **"I thought I made my feelings on Faerie contact clear after your first mental connection to your mother."**

In the midst of the terror fogging Sakura's mind, she wondered how he knew they were going to the Deepest Well. Then again, considering who their party consisted of and the direction they were heading in, it probably wasn't difficult to discern their motives.

Her first thought, when she felt the world begin to twist and writhe, had been to avoid eye contact with Itachi. She wasn't sure if his Mangekyou Sharingan still worked, but she remembered from their last encounter that looking into his eyes had triggered some sort of paralysis.

Except this time, the paralysis hadn't been triggered by his eyes. He hadn't even needed to look at her; as soon as her seal began to burn, Sakura had found herself frozen in place as though she'd been riveted to the earth.

Sakura winced as she felt Itachi press himself against her back, one arm sliding around her waist to dig hard fingers into her stomach. She watched as her clothes began to dissolve beneath his touch – they didn't melt, exactly...it was more like the threads of the clothing unraveled, then frayed, crumbling down to their very atoms in the space of a seconds. Red welts began to stripe across her skin where his fingers rested on her flesh.

"**Perhaps another lesson is in order..."**

Cringing in anticipation of pain, Sakura's concern over her friends suddenly reared its head, shoving fear and prudence out of the way to take control of her vocal chords. "What did you do to my friends?"

Itachi didn't exactly pause, but Sakura could tell she'd surprised him. **"Nothing much...just something to keep them suitably distracted while we have our little chat."**

Sakura's mouth was dry with fear, but she managed to keep talking, "What did you do?"

"**The weapon-user should be well on her way to drowning in the river about now, I instructed my Daemons to take care of my brother and the male Hyuuga, and I sent Blightbringer to take care of the others."**

"Blightbringer?" Sakura's throat was so tight it felt like she was being strangled. She wasn't too concerned about Tenten drowning – she was too strong and resourceful to simply give in and die. And Neji and Sasuke were the same; something told her it would take a lot more than a few Daemons to get rid of them.

But Naruto and Hinata were facing Blightbringer. Sakura remembered the Akatsuki bodies she had seen, and wondered if she would find them like that. Assuming she survived this encounter with Itachi, would she find her friends lying in the forest, completely unmarked and untouched...but dead all the same?

"**I instructed him to crack the seal on the Kyuubi vessel, enough so that the demon's persona will overwhelm the boy's. But not for long, you understand – it will be no fun at all if the vessel doesn't come to himself in a few hours, having viciously murdered the being he loved the most."**

As Sakura's mind reeled with the horror of it, Itachi's hand slid to her back, and pressed against the seal.

And then Sakura screamed as she felt Itachi's mind driving into her own like a needle of black ice.

-xxx-

As soon as they stepped into the clearing, Sasuke knew they were in trouble. Naruto was bent double, but even through the rain Sasuke could see his eyes were red, the pupil contracting and stretching until it was slitted like a cat's, fingernails lengthening and sharpening, turning into claws...

And now that he was closer, he could recognise this chakra – the chakra of the Kyuubi.

Naruto was growing no tails, nor becoming wrapped by orange-red chakra, but his face was twisting into a cruel caricature of his usual self, becoming steadily more malicious and savage. Sasuke knew that this was different than what Naruto usually did – somehow, Naruto wasn't just tapping into the Kyuubi's power...he was _becoming_ the Kyuubi.

He also knew that their best plan was probably to get very far away very quickly, and hope that Naruto could regain control.

"What's going on?" Neji barked, obviously set on edge by the wildly fluctuating chakra around them.

"Blightbringer – the Daemon – he did this to him somehow!" Hinata shouted over the storm. "He brought the Kyuubi's soul out!"

Sasuke felt a flash of alarm. If a Daemon had meddled with the seal...that was different than the seal simply cracking or slipping a little. If this disturbance was from the Elseworld, Sasuke doubted there was anything anyone else could do to stop it. Was Naruto even capable of regaining control?

"We need to go..._now!_" he barked.

Neji was already backing prudently away, but Hinata wasn't moving. Thinking she was simply frozen with shock, her cousin reached for her, intending to pull her back, but Hinata shrugged his hand off and stepped towards Naruto.

Naruto snarled, but amidst the growl were some garbled words that sounded like he was trying to warn Hinata away.

The Hyuuga gave this warning about as much attention as Sasuke's previous order.

Hinata wasn't stupid. She knew that in this state, Naruto was more than capable of tearing her apart without breaking a sweat. His strangled warning told her that he truly feared he would lose control and do just that. She knew that she should probably back away as the two men behind her were doing.

But behind the cruel red tint of his eyes and the snarling face, Hinata could see Naruto's terror. Terror that he would finally become what so many ignorant people had always thought of him as; the Kyuubi incarnate.

And Hinata couldn't leave him to face that alone, no matter the risk to herself.

She approached him slowly, her hands held away from her body in a passive position to show she wasn't threatening him. He was on all fours, and she knelt down in front of him so he wouldn't feel she was towering over him.

Sasuke didn't move, just watched. He knew that Hinata was probably the only one who could approach Naruto in such a state – even Sakura would be risking it. In spite of his earlier misgivings, Sasuke had faith in Naruto's willpower. From what Hinata had said, he didn't think the the seal itself was damaged; Itachi probably didn't want a permanent takeover and an ambitious nine-tailed demon messing up his plans. Control _would_ return...it was just a matter of how long it would take.

Hinata's refusal to leave was giving Naruto an extra incentive not to let the demon inside him loose, and her silent encouragement could be just what he needed.

The blonde snarled, the elongated teeth and emphasised whisker marks making him look like a wild animal, but there was no hint of either disgust or fear on Hinata's face as she leaned forward and gently looped her arms around his shoulders.

Naruto jerked, as though he was trying to lunge forward and flinch back at the same time. Hinata gave no sign she'd felt his flinch – she only shifted closer, kissing his temple and running a hand through his damp hair. Sasuke could see her lips moving, but couldn't make out what she was saying over the pouring rain.

Long, tense moments passed like hours.

Then Naruto moved, but not to attack. He seized Hinata around the waist and burrowed his head into her stomach like...like a fox seeking its burrow, strangely enough.

Sasuke knew Naruto had rounded the corner when he began to breathe more deeply and evenly, and his desperate nosing into Hinata became more gentle nuzzles.

Still, Sasuke and Neji stayed back until they saw Naruto's body relax, practically slumping into Hinata's embrace. As they got closer, Sasuke realised Naruto was unconscious; probably passed out from the strain of holding the Kyuubi back.

"We need to get him somewhere safe," Hinata said, looking up at them.

Neji scowled. Now that the adrenaline rush was over, concern for his cousin transformed into anger. "Do you have any idea how foolish that was?"

"Yes," Hinata said blandly.

Neji blinked, unsure how to proceed. He'd assumed Hinata would deny it, would insist she hadn't done anything dangerous...

"We need to get him somewhere safe," the female Hyuuga repeated. "It's likely the woods are still crawling with Daemons – while Naruto's unconscious, we need to have him somewhere we can defend."

"Itachi might be here," Sasuke snapped, staring into the flooding rain as though he could see straight through it.

"What if he is?" Hinata asked gently. "There's little we can do about it. Sakura survived her previous encounter with Itachi," she added, making Sasuke wonder if his concern had really been so obvious. "And even if he is after her again, I don't think there's much we can do to help."

Sasuke absolutely loathed to admit it, but Hinata was right. The woods were probably crawling with Daemons ready and eager to finish the job, and they needed to set Naruto somewhere they could defend until he regained consciousness.

Not to mention that Sakura would kill him if she ever found out he left Naruto in this state. He might be one of the elite shinobi of Konoha, but Sakura was smart, tenacious, and strong enough to break a man's spine with a flick of her pinky – she'd find a way to make him sorry.

Besides, though Sasuke would probably never admit it, Naruto was one of the few (the very few) ninja in Konoha he counted as a friend. He wasn't going to leave him...not again.

Neji bent to help Hinata with Naruto's unconscious weight, surreptitiously straining his senses to catch even the faintest flicker of chakra and trying not to think about Itachi/Skwall being out there. Tried not to think about him getting his hands on Tenten.

According to Ino's account, he'd been about to kill her in their last encounter because she wasn't 'useful'.

Neji told himself that Sakura was out there too, and it was Sakura Itachi was really after. It was probably very cold-blooded and mean-spirited of him to think that; to be grateful a valuable medic and kind woman was facing an implacable enemy just because her presence made Tenten's chances of survival a bit higher.

Probably very cold-blooded and mean-spirited indeed.

Neji didn't care.

-xxx-

Tenten's lungs ached, and she was having trouble controlling her reflexive urge to inhale. The storm had turned the normally peaceful river wild and deadly. The current was keeping her down near the bottom, away from the light and air, and pulled her along at such a speed she knew that if she collided with a rock she'd break bones.

The first thing she needed to do was reach the surface. Her hands had been fumbling with her shuriken pouch for some time, but it was difficult to find and hold the small blades while being spun around like a top by the rushing water. At one point, she'd managed to seize one of the projectiles, but then a large water-soaked branch had been slammed against her injured side, the rough bark scraping painfully against the open wound. She'd released the shuriken in reflex to the pain, and it had promptly been swept away by the current. Tenten had tried to grab at the branch, hoping that it might take her with it when it floated to the surface, but it too had been snatched away by the river.

Digging ever deeper into her pouch as her chest grew tighter and tighter, Tenten wanted to shout with joy when her fingers found the sharp edge of another shuriken. Grasping it so tightly the blades dug into her hand, she yanked it out and pulled it close to her body, determined not to let the current pull it from her hold.

She brought the shuriken to bear against the straps holding her pack to her shoulders. That was why she'd sought the shuriken in the first place – she could never fight the current and make it the surface with the pack weighing her down, not injured as she was. She had to remove the pack to have any chance of surviving.

The blade was small, but – like all of Tenten's weapons – it was in top condition. The straps were sliced through in the space of moments.

Feeling the weight of the water-logged pack leave her back, Tenten swam upwards, her arms and legs moving powerfully and rhythmically as her lungs began to spasm.

She broke the choppy surface with a gasp, sucking air gratefully into her starved lungs, ignoring the way her side burned with each deep inhalation. For several moments Tenten didn't even try to struggle to the shore – she simply concentrated on keeping her head above the water until her breathing became less hard and desperate.

Then, deciding she had to make the shore before blood loss and exhaustion made such a swim impossible, Tenten struck out for the river bank. It was hard going, but now she had her head above water and was moving across the current rather than against it, it was certainly easier than it had been to fight her way to the surface.

Her limbs were numb and she was beginning to feel dizzy by the time Tenten finally dragged herself onto the bank. She was mildly alarmed by the amount of blood that was staining the ground underneath her, and reflexively pressed a hand to her side to try to stem the flow. The warm fluid dribbling through her fingers provided a stark contrast to the freezing rain and river water.

Tenten tried to stand, but her legs shook underneath her, and her muscles felt as thought they'd turned to jelly. She knelt on the ground, one hand balancing her exhausted body while the other used her shuriken to slice through her pants just above the knee. Cutting the cloth into thin strips, Tenten used the sodden material as an emergency bandage. It probably wasn't very clean, but it would help staunch the bleeding, and with her pack lost to a watery grave it was the best she could hope for.

The time taken for her to bandage her wound seemed to be what her limbs needed to restore themselves to some semblance of working order, and when Tenten next tried to gain her feet, her muscles didn't immediately rebel. She ran an exploratory hand over her body, checking that all her weapon scrolls were still attached, and then ran back into the forest.

-xxx-

Sakura knew at once that this was different to the invasions that had preceded it. Back then, she hadn't been fighting Itachi himself; it was more like she was struggling with a force that acted on his command. But now...she was facing the full force of the god of destruction himself.

She could feel him driving into her mind, knocking aside any and all of her feeble attempts to push him out, to stop him reaching any deeper. The pain of his invasion had become secondary to the sickening, terrifying feeling of having the secrets of her being bared, of having the deepest facets of her soul stripped and raked over like a plough stripping the land.

And then, quite suddenly, she felt him hit something.

She didn't know what, but all at once the crushing, relentless shove into her mind stopped as though Itachi had hit a wall. As though he'd touched something that couldn't be crushed or tainted; as though the plough had scraped the soil of her soul bare and hit a diamond.

Sakura had one split second in which to make that realisation, before whatever Itachi hit started pushing back.

At first, it was just a small shove, more a reflex action than anything else; like the mind instinctively trying to shy away from a painful thought or feeling. But now Sakura was behind it, utilising that strange burst of energy, that power that had been barricaded behind some kind of mental shutter, wielding it like a weapon.

Sakura grasped that power in both hands, and flung it at Itachi.

And as she did, Sakura's whole perspective changed.

Her world expanded in a rush, and awareness of every living thing around her suddenly hammered into her mind.

Whatever Itachi had done to lock her powers away clearly wasn't working anymore.

But it was too much. Too much, too fast and too overwhelming. It was like being locked in a silent, soundproof room for months and then suddenly standing in front of the speakers at a rock concert. There was no way for Sakura to block it out, to shut it off...

Ironically, it was probably fortunate that Itachi's chose that moment to retaliate.

With his flesh burning and melting from the pulse of energy Sakura had suddenly delivered, he lashed out on instinct, sending out a ripple of destructive energy that tore through the clearing, turning grass to dust and sending Sakura hurtling away to roll along the ground, her skin smoking and sizzling.

He considered going after her and finishing the job, but he was badly damaged. His foothold in the human realm was slipping by degrees, and he wasn't sure what would happen to him if she unleashed that power again.

If it had been enough to force him from her mind, destroy his seal and injure him at the same time, Itachi thought this situation bore careful consideration before he tried anything else.

Sakura's dazed mind only barely managed to comprehend the fact that the rain had suddenly stopped and the sky was as clear as a still pond. She was otherwise occupied – Itachi's blast had shredded her skin like sandpaper, and she was trying to simultaneously heal the damage and somehow prevent the sudden sensory barrage that seemed to signal the return of her powers from driving her completely crazy.

Under the circumstances, she wasn't surprised when multi-coloured spots began to swim in front of her. Sakura tried to stave off unconsciousness long enough to heal herself, searching her exhausted body for some hidden speck of energy...

And just like that, the spots in her vision vanished, and Sakura suddenly felt as energised as if she'd just gotten a full night's sleep and eaten a feast.

_'What...?' _ She realised that, though there was a circle of destroyed greenery where Itachi had been, she had come to rest next to a particularly resilient bush. _'Oh, right – energy from plants...'_

Now that the crisis was over and she wasn't so tired, it was easier to get a handle on the sudden return of her 'plant sense' than she thought. The previously raucous din had died to a background hum, and Sakura wondered if it was just the abruptness of that first rush that had made it so overwhelming.

Her concentration returned to healing herself, and it was in that moment that Sakura realised she was naked.

For a moment, she had the wild urge to cross her arms over her chest and hunch her body in an effort to conceal herself. But that was stupid – who was going to see her, squirrels?

Still, she couldn't help the blush that spread across her face as she finished healing herself. The scraps of multi-coloured cloth around her were all that remained of her clothes; probably destroyed by Itachi's power. After all, if it had torn her skin to shreds, her clothes certainly wouldn't have been able to stand up to it.

By now feeling very uncomfortable sitting stark naked in the middle of the forest, Sakura looked around for her pack, remembering that she'd kept a change of clothes in there.

She spotted the pack lying several feet from her, and her heart stopped for a moment as she realised the back of it had also bore the brunt of Itachi's blast. Even from where she was standing, she could see the pack itself and her sleeping mat were completely unsalvageable.

But when she shook out the strips of fabric and matting that had been her bedroll, she found that (fortunately for her), that was the extent of the damage. Her medical supplies were more or less intact, and her clothes had survived with only a few singed hems.

Sakura had just finished pulling on said singed clothes when she realised that she had no shoes. She'd packed spare clothes, yes...but not spare boots.

Considering that she still had to tramp through several miles of forest, that could be a problem.

_'Maybe I can coerce Naruto into a piggy-back ride...'_ she mused.

And then she remembered what Itachi had said. Feeling ashamed that she could forget the danger her friend was in, Sakura glanced around the forest floor for something that could protect her feet on a mad dash through the forest. Maybe she could wrap the shreds of her bedroll around her feet?

The medic snatched them from the damp ground hastily, sat down and lifted her foot...

And stared.

The soles of her feet were completely unmarked. Even if she didn't step on thorns or something equally nasty, there should still have been red marks from where she stepped on twigs, small stones, and the general scatterings you found on a forest floor.

But there was nothing.

Sakura hadn't been paying attention to the state of her feet, but she did now as she stood and slowly stepped forward.

The ground felt soft, as though she had stepped onto a feather mattress instead of hard ground.

Another step, another shock at the soft yielding earth beneath her feet. Maybe she was just standing on particularly soft soil? It was still wet from the rain, after all...

Sakura shifted her foot and intentionally stepped on a twig. She should have felt a slight prickle of discomfort, but there was nothing. As though she'd just stepped on a ball of cotton instead of a sliver of wood.

The half-Faerie glanced around again, her eyes landing on a small, thorny bush a few feet away. She approached it and then, quite deliberately, stamped her foot on a small curl of thorns.

She winced, expecting pain, expecting to pull her foot up and see bloody punctures in it...but there was nothing. Sakura ground her foot down...still no pain.

Taking full advantage of kunoichi flexibility, Sakura knelt down to examine her foot without moving it from atop the thorns.

She found something she couldn't explain. It looked as though the ground had softened beneath her, the soil bowing in to cushion her foot and the branch sinking down into the loose soil. The thorns – what little she could see of them – seemed to have softened and curled away from her skin, as though they were intentionally trying not to hurt her.

Sakura backed away hastily.

Perhaps the loss of her shoes wasn't such a problem after all. For a moment, Sakura tried to remember if her mother had ever mentioned something like this, then swiftly dismissed her thoughts. This was a new and very intriguing development that certainly deserved further investigation, but she had bigger concerns at the moment.

She closed her eyes and opened her senses, trying to catch even a flicker of chakra, anything from the plants that told her where her friends were...

And Sakura made another interesting discovery. Her awareness had expanded...expanded to significantly more than it had been before Itachi sealed her.

She felt the plants again, yes, but she also felt...more. She could feel a badger that had a set a few feet from where she was standing. She could feel a snake slithering onto a rock to sun itself beside the river, she could feel a flock of birds flying overhead, even though she couldn't see them through the canopy...

And she could feel Tenten running through the forest.

Filing away her new sense of the world around her under 'mysteries to be explored later' (along with her newfound ability to walk through the forest without shoes and how she'd managed to fight Itachi off), Sakura picked up her medical supplies and ran toward her friend, the ground as soft as velvet beneath her feet, the dense thickets and bushes parting at the slightest brush of her hand

-xxx-

Tenten felt a flare of chakra to her left, approaching rapidly. She swung around, gripping a kunai in one hand as her other rested on one of her weapon scrolls. The sudden cessation of the storm, while welcome, had been far too abrupt to be natural – Tenten had been on edge and expecting an attack ever since the sky cleared.

But she spotted a familiar pink head through the trees, and felt a wave of relief surge through her. She started towards her friend...then blinked as the medic's appearance hit her.

Sakura wasn't wearing any shoes, the edges of her clothes looked slightly frayed and blackened, and she was clutching her medical supplies in her arms, with her pack no where to be seen.

"Sakura?"

"Hey, Tenten," Sakura offered a grin, but it seemed strained. "Seen anyone else?"

Tenten shook her head, then glanced pointedly at the half-nymph's bare feet. "What-"

"I'll explain later. Just rest assured, lack of shoes doesn't actually seem to be a problem for me."

Tenten blinked, but caught Sakura's tone and simply nodded. "Anyone else with you?"

Sakura shook her head, noticing the bloodstained cloth that bound Tenten's side. Without a word, she reached forward, pushing the material aside to reveal an ugly rent in her side, the edges puckering outwards, looking red and inflamed.

"Looks like it might be infected," Sakura murmured, already using her chakra to explore the wound.

"I took an inadvertent swim in the river."

The medic nodded absently – that would explain it...and it would also explain where Tenten's pack had gone.

Sakura first purged the injury of the bacteria that could cause infection, then healed the gash swiftly and economically, leaving no trace of an injury. While medics usually refrained from healing patients completely in the hospital – too many complete healings could interfere with the body's ability to repair itself – it was a different story on the outside. On the battlefield, it was in the ninja's best interests to have any injuries healed completely so they were as fighting fit as they could possibly be. And considering that they were going to be traveling to the Deepest Well and then spending some time in the Otherworld, Sakura figured the same applied here; Tenten needed to be as travel-fit as she could make her.

"Thanks," the brunette smiled, running her fingers over her repaired skin. She let the makeshift bandages slide back into place; she'd remove them later.

"No problem..." Sakura mumbled, closing her eyes as she stretched her newfound senses even farther than she last time, searching for the others.

When she found them, all four close by and healthy, she thought she could have cried from relief. Itahci's plan hadn't succeeded.

"I found them," she said simply, opening her eyes.

Tenten's expression told her that while she accepted rejoining their friends was of paramount importance at the moment, she would be demanding an explanation later. Sakura nodded, hoping her face conveyed that she would give it...once she was assured everyone was alright.

Sakura took off into the forest again, Tenten following close behind, and even as she worried for her friends (Naruto, especially), Sakura couldn't help reveling in the feeling of her powers restored to her. She didn't know what had happened to the seal, but she felt like she was complete again.

It was funny – she had never realised how much her powers were a part of her until they were taken away.

-xxx-

Sasuke didn't know how they'd managed to find the tiny cave beside the river. And even 'cave' was stretching it a little – it was more like a rocky overhang that could serve as a shelter in a pinch.

Naruto was behind him, resting on a bedroll, still unconscious and with Hinata tending to him. Sasuke faced one way, Neji faced the other, and between the two of them, they had almost the entire visual field covered.

The Uchiha resisted the urge to fidget. Ever since the storm had mysteriously stopped – so suddenly it was like someone had flipped a switch – he had been only growing more anxious. Itachi had obviously decided to leave them alone...why? Because he'd already done what he'd planned to? Because he'd already found Sakura and done gods knew what to her?

While he knew it was irrational, he found himself wishing Naruto would wake up right _now_, so they could quit hanging around and go look for Sakura.

Still, at least he wasn't the only one desperate to get going. When Sasuke glanced over his shoulder, he'd noticed the line of Neji's shoulders was several notches tighter than usual.

Sasuke was jerked from his dark imaginings when he felt two chakras approaching at high speed. He didn't even have time to ask the others if they felt them too before he spotted two figures running along the rocky riverbank – one with brown hair and the other with pink – calling out for them.

Neji whirled, the strong chakra signatures telling him that yes, this was the real Tenten. The relief the rose in him was just as acute as that he'd felt when he'd glimpsed the copy – maybe more so, after all that had happened in the meantime.

As the two women halted at their impromptu campsite, his famous eyes zeroed in on the bloodstained cloth wrapped around her side. "You're hurt."

"This?" Tenten peeled the soaking cloth from her equally damp skin. Running through a storm and then being swept away by the river meant that she wasn't going to dry out for a while. "I had an encounter with a sharp piece of a broken tree trunk...but don't worry about it – Sakura healed me."

Neji nodded, relieved that the expanse of flesh revealed before she tugged her shirt down was smooth and clean, unmarred by any injury.

"Your pack..." he began, glancing at her unburdened shoulders.

"I took a dip in the river by mistake, had to cut it loose or drown."

Another nod. Tenten could see the worry in Neji's eyes, only barely veiled. She grinned to reassure him, then turned to Sakura. Both Sasuke and Hinata were staring at the half-nymph, looking very puzzled at her lack of footwear, her singed clothes and the absence of her pack.

"How's Naruto?" she asked, obviously worried, peering around Hinata to glance at the blonde lying prone behind her.

Hinata smiled gently. "He'll be fine." And as Sakura visibly relaxed, she went on, "What happened to you?"

"I had an encounter with Itachi," she said, matching Tenten's flippant tone. "Everything I was wearing was pretty much destroyed, shoes included – I'm wearing my spare set of clothes. And my pack was totaled too; this is pretty much all that survived." She jiggled the small med kit she was holding. "Good thing, too – I don't think we'll need it, but it's still good to have along."

"You had an encounter with _Itachi_?" Sasuke repeated, sounding dangerously close to eruption – at least, to Sakura's ears.

Elaboration might mollify him, and so she continued, "He didn't want me going to the Otherworld, so he tried to take over again. And this wasn't like the other times – I thought he was really going to succeed. Nothing I was doing seemed to stop him, but then...it was like he hit a wall. One he couldn't knock down or tear apart. I don't know why, but once he hit that, I could force him out."

At everyone's puzzled looks, she said, "Look, even _I_ don't know what I did, so if you're waiting for me to explain it, you're going to be waiting a while. Anyway, once I'd pushed him out, it was like some sort of energy exploded from me – not chakra, something...else. But whatever it was, it hurt him, and he barely took the time to hit back before he vanished."

"You scared him?" Hinata asked.

"I don't think so – he doesn't strike me as the type who gets scared. It's more like I unsettled him...like I introduced more variables into the equation and now he has to withdraw and study them. Anyway, that blast was what destroyed my clothes, shoes and most of my pack – shredded my skin pretty nicely, too, but I managed to heal myself."

"When I saw you, you said the lack of shoes wasn't a problem," Tenten said. "The ground might have been soft from the rain or something, but I know that we walked through some rather thorny underbrush and over some pretty sharp stones to get here – your feet can't be in good shape."

In answer, Sakura lifted her leg, resting her ankle in her hand and displaying the unmarked sole of her foot to Tenten. There wasn't even any dirt or wet fragments of grass clinging to it – it was as clean as if she'd just bathed it.

"When I pushed Itachi out of my mind," she said quietly, "I think I broke whatever part of the seal was holding my powers back. I can feel plants again...but it's more than that. I mean, I still needed shoes before Itachi sealed me, you know? And now my awareness isn't just limited to plants; I can feel animals, too. I didn't find you guys or Tenten by detecting your chakra...it was more like I felt your...your life force, I guess."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. Tenten, Hinata and Neji simply stared.

"Look, it doesn't make any more sense to me than it does to you, alright?" Sakura grumped. "But I_would_ like someone to tell me what my seal looks like now."

She turned her back to them and lifted her shirt.

Sasuke blinked. The seal certainly didn't look like Itachi's mark anymore – it looked almost exactly as it had when he'd first seen it, those long months ago in Tsunade's office. But now it was fainter, a light green instead of a dark emerald, with the edges slightly blurred like a partially-erased watermark.

It looked...fragile. Weak. As though there was only a tenuous curtain holding Sakura's powers back where there had once been an impenetrable wall.

He only half-listened as Hinata described the changes to Sakura, but watched closely as she demonstrated her strange ability to walk barefoot on any natural surface without even a hint of discomfort. Tenten crouched down, watching carefully as Sakura placed her feet on the ground, eventually declaring that it was like the ground deliberately softened under her feet, though how or why it would do such a thing remained a mystery.

Neji was just beginning to catalogue their now depleted supply of rations to calculate whether or not someone would have to go foraging, when Naruto began to stir.

Naruto blinked awake, rubbing at his eyes, puzzled as to why he saw rock above him and not the bland ceiling of his bedroom. Memory trickled slowly back to him; he remembered Blightbringer, what he'd done to the seal, feeling the Kyuubi taking over, and...

"Hinata!" Naruto yelled, bolting upright and looking wildly around.

"I'm here, Naruto," Hinata said gently. She had been sitting beside him – her legs neatly folded underneath her – for the last fifteen minutes, waiting for him to wake up. "Are you feeling alright?"

Naruto nodded automatically, feeling the remainder of his memory return in a sudden rush. Sasuke and Neji bursting in on the scene (and the sight of them and the two women in the background reassured him that their little group had survived the mysterious storm unscathed), the feeling of losing his will to the demon housed inside him that screamed for slaughter, and Hinata...

Hinata shifted slightly in place as her lover stared at her with something close to awe in his eyes.

"You weren't scared," Naruto whispered. "You didn't run..."

He knew he should probably be very angry about that, but couldn't find it in himself to berate her.

"Of course I wasn't scared," she said, equally softly. "It was you. Maybe a little more highly-strung than usual, but it was still...the man I love."

She was slightly pink in the face – Hinata had never quite gotten over the blushes that coloured her cheeks after sensitive declarations or public displays of affection.

Naruto wasn't nearly so constrained. He seized her by the shoulders and yanked her into his arms, kissing her passionately. She squeaked in surprise before shyly returning the kiss.

Sakura grinned as Sasuke and Neji looked away. The air was thick with tension, emotions running high, and Tenten knew they needed to lighten the atmosphere.

But her inner romantic insisted she not interrupt such a scene, so she compromised; she gave Naruto and Hinata their moment (or two) before she joked, "I'd say get a room, but that's pretty much impossible here."

The lovers broke apart, both smiling even as Hinata's blush darkened. Naruto sent his trademark grin at the group in general, wordlessly assuring them he would bounce back as he always seemed to do.

"Hey, you okay, Sakura?" he asked, noticing her singed clothes and bare feet.

"I think I need to fill you in on some things, Naruto," Sakura smiled. "Come on, let's take a walk."

Sakura had to work not to grin again when Naruto glanced at the woman he still held in his arms, obviously reluctant to leave. Hinata smiled, patted his arm as if to say 'I'll still be here when you get back' and only then did the blonde move to follow the medic.

Sakura and Naruto took a small stroll along the riverbank, during which she told him about her encounter with Itachi, what had happened to her seal, and her new abilities. Naruto had been concerned, but she'd waved his worry away. Then, unable to resist, Sakura had laughingly mentioned the kiss.

"You've got yourself a good woman there, Naruto," she told him in a sisterly tone.

"I'm going to marry her."

Sakura stared. Taken aback, she said the first thing that came to mind, "Are you sure?"

Naruto thought for a moment. No matter how many times she had reassured him, in his hearts of heart, he had always been a little worried that Hinata was afraid of him. That she might leave him if she saw the demon he contained. He'd been shunned by an entire village for it; even his friends were frightened and intimidated when he transformed, even when he was in control.

Yet Hinata had seen him, claws and fangs and all, one hairs breadth away from total rampage...and she'd held him close, kissed his temple, and told him she loved him. She'd seen the darkness inside, and it had simply made her hold him that much closer.

"Yeah," he said. "I'm sure."

Sakura saw the look in the eyes, and knew it was true. She felt a burst of happiness for him, so sharp it almost brought tears to her eyes, and she tried to resist the urge to hug him.

"Congratulations," as all she said, hoping he could tell she meant it with all her heart.

His smile told her he'd caught the undercurrent in her voice. "Yeah...when I get back, I'm going to dig the ring out of the closet and-"

"Wait a minute!" Sakura interrupted. "You've already bought a ring?"

"I was sort of thinking about this for a while..." Naruto confessed, scratching the back of his head as though a little embarrassed to be caught. "So I saved up for ages and bought a ring a few months back, but..."

"But?"

"But I kept chickening out," he mumbled, not looking at her. "I kept thinking we'd get hitched, and then Hinata would realise what she'd married and want out, but now..."

Sakura understood. Now Naruto didn't need to worry; now he'd been given conclusive proof that Hinata loved him, and the fact that he had the Kyuubi sealed in him didn't change that.

"She loves me..." Naruto whispered, as though fleshing the concept out in his mind. "She really, truly loves me..."

Sakura lost the battle about not hugging him, and yanked him into a rib-creaking embrace.

"You sappy, wonderful, adorable, lovable man!" she blurted. "I hope you live a hundred years and have fifty grandkids and become the youngest Hokage ever!"

Naruto blinked, not used to hearing such a large string of compliments in one hit.

Sakura released the embrace as abruptly as she'd initiated it, seemingly unable to wipe the grin off her face. "I'm really, really happy for you, Naruto."

"Yeah..." Naruto's blissful expression suddenly faltered. "Better wait until she says yes before you start that."

Sakura snorted. "Do you really think she's going to say no?"

"Well...not really, but still..."

"Trust me on this one, Naruto," she laughed. "You have absolutely nothing to worry about."

Even when they made their way back to the others, following the smell of something cooking (Hinata had managed to throw their rations together to make a passable stew), Sakura still couldn't stop smiling.

It was good to know that among all this chaos and tragedy, someone was going to be happy. The fact that said someone was Naruto only made her happier – there was no one who deserved it more.

-xxx-

_AN: I've heard that in some of the latest chapters, Sasuke has been shown capable of suppressing the Kyuubi, but I haven't included that in this chapter because, as I mentioned before, I'm very behind on the manga, and I won't write what I haven't seen/read for myself._


	13. The Deepest Well

**Chapter 13**

**The Deepest Well**

Ino was worried, and trying not to be. She knew Sakura and the others were traveling to the Deepest Well – Sakura had come to see her last night and told her about the mission – and she didn't like to think of her friends out in the vicious storm that had suddenly blown up.

Ino had been training Hatchling when it first began to drizzle. The full-blown storm had followed so fast she hadn't even had time to get home; Hatchling had huddled under the eaving of a closed shop on the main street, and Ino had huddled against Hatchling, one of the dragon's wings shielding her from the wind and rain.

Hatchling had seemed strangely unsettled by the storm, hissing and shifting her weight in agitation, dark eyes staring balefully at the clouds, snarling each time a crack of thunder sounded or lightning flashed across the sky. Trying to take her mind off Sakura's peril and calm her dragon down at the same time, Ino had talked to Hatchling, babbling on as if the dragon actually understood what she was saying, telling her all the things she and Sakura had done together when they were children.

It wasn't much, but the sound of her voice seemed to calm Hatchling somewhat, and the narration kept Ino from thinking too much.

Her throat was beginning to ache by the time the wind finally died and the rain stopped. The storm ceased so abruptly Ino wondered for a moment if this was actually a cyclone and they'd simply passed into the eye of it. But a quick glance from under Hatchling's wing proved that the sky was clear.

"That's kinda creepy," Ino reflected.

Hatchling, who seemed to have settled down once the storm blew over, nudged her head under Ino's elbow and rubbed her cheek on Ino's hipbone like an affectionate cat. Ino curled her arm under the Daemon's chin, hugging a scaly neck as thick as a tree trunk.

"You think that guy Lady Tsunade found has finished our saddle, yet?" she mused.

Hatchling made a soft chirruping noise in her throat, less a response to Ino's question and more a plea for the blonde to scratch her chin. Ino obliged for a moment, then began to scramble onto the dragon's back.

"Let's go see him," Ino laughed, settling herself on Hatchling's back and tapping her heels against the hard scales. "Forward!"

The dragon took off down the road with a quick, loping gait. Ino grinned, her hands resting lightly on either side of Hatchling's neck, no longer clutching desperately to maintain her balance. After several days of riding Hatchling everywhere she needed to go, she'd begun to adapt to the strangely smooth gait.

"Good girl," she cooed. "I'll be riding you through the skies in no time, you just wait and see."

-xxx-

Sakura settled down in the bedroll, tugging the blanket over her shoulders and turning onto her side to try to minimise the amount of space she was taking up. She felt Tenten lift the blanket and slip in beside her, also turning on her side so they were back to back, stretched the length of the bedroll.

Since they'd both lost their own bedrolls in unfortunate mishaps, Hinata had lent them hers while she shared Naruto's roll. Sakura glanced over at the two lovers, smiling at the way they were curled together like two kittens. Hinata's head was resting on Naruto's chest, her arms around his waist and his secured around her shoulders, one of Naruto's hands running lightly through the soft fall of her hair as Hinata's traced idle patterns on his chest.

Tenten felt the movement of her silent chuckles and twisted in the bedroll, looking for the source of her amusement. When she spotted the couple, she snickered a little too.

"They're pretty cute, aren't they?" Sakura grinned.

Tenten nodded. "Like little snuggling puppies."

"Who's cute?" Their conversation had apparently attracted Naruto's attention.

"Don't worry about it, Naruto," Sakura called back.

She turned over in the bed, snuggling down into the warm indent left by her body, feeling Tenten do the same beside her. Sakura reflected that it was probably lucky she was so small – Tenten was several inches taller than the average woman, and without a corresponding height deficiency in Sakura it would have been a very uncomfortable squeeze to sleep in the same bedroll. Mikiko might have been tall (probably had something to do with being, technically, a tree) but Sakura had definitely taken after her father in the height department.

"Who's cute?" Naruto repeated, then whined to his girlfriend, "Hinata, they won't tell me..."

"Just get some sleep," Sakura cut in, already closing her eyes. "Big day tomorrow; places to go, Faerie to meet."

Naruto grumbled, but the feeling of Hinata's fingers brushing gently across his chest through the cloth of his shirt was as soothing and relaxing as any sedative, and he soon found himself slipping off to sleep.

Sakura smiled as Naruto and Hinata's breathing evened out, hearing the sounds of Neji settling in across from them. Sasuke had the first watch, and he and Neji had been silent practically all throughout the evening. Still, Sakura supposed there wasn't anything unusual about that; Neji and Sasuke were quiet by nature, and when there were others around, they let them do the talking. They weren't shy about making their opinions known, but they seemed to feel they could be as much a part of the conversation by observing it as by participating in it.

"Goodnight," she muttered to the group at large.

She wasn't surprised when no one answered. Naruto and Hinata were already asleep, and she suspected Neji might be, too. Tenten had already slipped into a doze, so while Sakura's bedmate wasn't asleep just yet, her words probably hadn't even registered.

Sasuke was awake, of course, but she had never expected a response from him. He'd been rather irritable ever since she'd told him about her encounter with Itachi.

She closed her eyes, shimmied backwards a little until her spine pressed against Tenten's to take advantage of her friend's body heat, and let herself drift off. The life of a ninja taught you to take full advantage of whatever chance of sleep you had, and by the time she was sixteen Sakura could fall asleep in ten minutes no matter where she was or what was happening around her.

So she was unaware when, fifteen minutes later, Sasuke looked over at her sleeping face and mumbled, "Goodnight, Sakura."

-xxx-

Sakura had the last watch, and she watched as the sky lightened, a chorus of birds heralding the beginning of dawn. The concept of birds singing at dawn was an old cliché, but when you spent the night in a forest abundant in avian life you discovered it was quite an accurate one.

It was fascinating. When her new senses had awakened, there had been little time to enjoy or examine them, first in the rush to find her friends and then explaining what had happened. Naruto's revelation had rather distracted her, too.

But now, in the pre-dawn light, with her companions safe and sound and sleeping behind her, there was nothing to do but sit back...and_feel_.

Fish were swimming in the river. Rabbits were feeding in the long grass. Sparrows populated the tree branches. A fox was sniffing at an abandoned otter den several yards downstream.

Sakura tried to ignore _what_ she could feel, and instead concentrated on _how_ she felt it. She'd explained it to her teammates as feeling life forces around her, but that wasn't exactly it. Now that she was giving her full concentration to her strange awareness, she realised she could sense the river near her, the rocks above her...she could sense the very land around her.

It was like she was aware of them in the same way you could close your eyes and be aware of where your arm was. Sakura closed her eyes and became aware of the plants around her, the animals in the forest, her friends behind her, the very earth beneath her feet...

But it was easier to feel animals and plants; they were...louder...somehow.

_'Probably because they're living,'_ Sakura surmised. _'After all, water and dirt aren't really alive...so then why am I aware of them?'_

Someone shifted behind her.

Her eyes still closed, she used her strange awareness to check on her friends. She didn't know precisely how she could differentiate between them, only that she could. And when she concentrated exclusively on one 'life force', she could sense other things about them.

For example, she knew that Naruto, Hinata and Tenten were still deeply asleep. Neji was awake – and had been for a while, judging by the firm, rapid rhythm of his heartbeat – and his gaze was drifting lazily across Tenten's sleeping face. Sasuke was the one who had stirred, and Sakura could tell he was starting to wake up.

She opened her eyes when he sat up, shifting her attention to her usual five senses instead of her newfound sixth one.

Sasuke made the journey from deep sleep to full awareness within seconds. He looked around, taking note of who was awake and who was still sleeping.

"Morning, guys," Sakura said softly, trying not to wake the others.

Neji nodded briefly in her direction, but Sasuke moved towards her, and she turned to offer him a smile.

Sasuke blinked. He hadn't noticed it last evening – probably because of the low light – but there was something different about Sakura's eyes. Nothing so obvious as a colour change or flaw; it was more subtle than that. Like an extra facet or depth that hovered just out of reach – you saw it, but as soon as you tried to focus on it, it was gone.

"We probably don't have enough food for breakfast," Sakura mused, looking out at the river. "What do you say, Sasuke – feel like fishing?"

He shrugged. "If it's necessary."

Sakura watched him make his way to the river, wondering if she should wake the others. After all, if they could expect breakfast soon, maybe she should get started on a fire...

Sakura suddenly inhaled sharply, feeling a sensation the equivalent of a sharp mental prod. An uncomfortable, stinging sensation, as though she'd been dunked in icy water for a split second.

She glanced around, wondering what could have triggered such a sensation...but there was nothing. Just Neji rousing the others, and Sasuke at the river with a dead fish beside him, leaning out over the water, his kunai poised to spear another unsuspecting fish as it swam by.

His kunai flashed, and Sakura felt it again – that strange prickling in her mind, awakening a dim memory of a darkness colder than ice, colder than death, reaching for her, consuming her as a thousand voices screamed...

Sakura blinked, dispelling the feeling that seemed more memory than illusion. She looked around again...and realised there were now two dead fish on the rock beside Sasuke.

With a slight start, Sakura realised she was feeling the fish dying.

Sasuke plunged his kunai into the water again, as swiftly and accurate as a diving kingfisher, and Sakura felt it again; the strange, cold-pain sensation as some part of her mind flinched.

"Are you okay?" she heard Hinata ask, her voice still thick with sleep. "You've gone pale."

"I'm fine," Sakura whispered. "I just...I felt...I need...I need to go!"

Without a backwards glance, she spun on her heel and sped into the forest, running as lightly as a deer through the trees and ignoring her friends' astonished cries.

She knew she couldn't ask Sasuke to stop – they needed their strength for the journey ahead, and the fish in the river were an abundant source of food. She just needed to put enough distance between her and the fish so that she didn't feel them anymore.

The deaths of the fish in themselves were not exactly painful, but the sensation was hardly pleasant either. And what she'd felt because of it...that screaming darkness colder than a frozen wasteland...

It was as though the fish dying had tugged on a string of memory, a string that led to a dark echo of the nightmares she'd often had as a child.

Her father had said they began when she was eight. She'd fallen ill, and her fever-cooked brain had apparently hallucinated a nightmare unlike anything she'd ever experienced. Sakura didn't remember much about that first nightmare, but she'd relieved the feeling in many nightmares afterwards.

What had been strange about those nightmares was that they had no true focus – no frightening monster or horrific experience or anything that a nightmare was usually based around. Instead, they were just a feeling; a dark, dark place in which there was no hope and from which there was no escape...

Sakura shook her head like a wet dog, trying to shed her thoughts as a soaked canine might shed water.

She slowed her desperate run to a gentle trot, moving past a thick belt of trees into a small glade.

And Sakura stopped in her tracks. A herd of deer were standing in front of her, apparently frozen in the moment between when they noticed the intruder and when they fled. The half-nymph had been so caught up in her sprint she hadn't even realised when her strange 'land sense' began to alert her to the animals' presence. She didn't move, wanting to watch the deer as they sped away from her...

Only they didn't. They regarded her for a moment, then bent their heads back to the grass and resumed their interrupted grazing.

Confused, Sakura wondered if they'd really seen her. She took a step closer, deliberately trying to make noise. But when the very earth softened and bent beneath your feet, stepping loudly was rather difficult.

The deer didn't look up. The stag was alert, eyes and ears flicking about as he scanned the herd's surroundings, but he paid Sakura no more attention than if she'd been a deer herself.

Sakura continued her approach, closing the distance slowly until she was barely a breath away from one of the outermost hinds.

And still, the deer hadn't moved.

Slowly, deliberately, Sakura reached out and laid a hand on the hind's side.

The deer continued grazing as if nothing but the breeze had touched her.

With a growing sense of wonder (and more than a little disbelief) Sakura moved among the herd, weaving between the deer, marveling at their complete lack of fear. She stroked their flanks, scratched their ears, and they never flinched nor shied. As though she were part of the herd...as though she were a deer herself.

"I don't understand this," she confided to the stag as she caressed his shoulder, running her fingers through his soft pelt, feeling the contours of the powerful muscles beneath the skin.

The stag turned at the sound of her voice, regarding her with eyes like dark liquor, alight with wisdom and instincts no sentient being could really understand.

"I shouldn't be able to do this," she continued, reaching up to cup her palm around the stag's antlers, her fingers wandering over the bony growth. "I'm half human...my Mum is a full-blood nymph and she's never been able to do anything like this..."

The stag swung his head towards her, his soft, velvety nose just touching her cheek as his dark eyes regarded her silently. He stayed that way for a moment, then turned away again and resumed his duty as sentinel.

"You're right," Sakura said, as if he'd spoken. She knew the deer probably hadn't understood a word of what she'd said, and hadn't meant anything by his stare, but that moment of silent regard had made something click in her head.

She wasn't her mother. She wasn't really a Faerie...but she wasn't really a human either. She was herself, and for better or for worse, these abilities were part of her, and she'd have to learn to deal with them.

With that thought fresh in her mind, Sakura knelt in the middle of the deer herd, crossing her legs and closing her eyes, breathing deeply as she prepared to meditate.

This time, it wasn't a grate that stood in her way, nor an impenetrable wall – it was more like a flimsy curtain, riddled with holes, ready to be pushed aside at the slightest notice.

But that wasn't what Sakura wanted. She needed to strengthen that curtain – just a little, just enough so that she wasn't being bombarded by sensation – but still be able to remove that curtain when she needed to.

It took a lot of effort; to patch up the ragged holes without making the curtain itself too thick for her to penetrate. She wasn't exactly sure how she was doing it or what kind of mental gymnastics was allowing her to do it...all she knew was that it seemed to be working. She patched the gaping holes, letting the curtain itself remain filmy and insubstantial, enough so that her power leaked through in a steady stream, but not enough to overwhelm her.

Maybe this would stop her feeling the fish dying.

"_Sakura!_"

Her concentration faltered as she heard her name being called.

The deer around her startled, their heads flying up, their muscles tightening as they prepared to bolt.

"It's alright," she whispered, reaching up and laying her hand on the flank of the hind nearest her. "It's just Sasuke."

"_I'm here!_" she called back, feeling a prickle of guilt at how worried her friends probably were. After all, it wasn't like she'd given them any explanation; she'd just fled into the undergrowth.

Sasuke burst into the clearing. The deer flinched, but Sakura's apparent unconcern at his presence seemed to reassure them that he meant no harm. They didn't flee – a few even returned to their grazing.

Sasuke blinked, an action Sakura had come to think of as his startle-reflex – while other people jumped on the spot, exclaimed, or swore, Sasuke just blinked.

For his part, Sasuke was staring at the scene he'd walked in on. Sakura was sitting in the middle of a herd of wild deer, patting one on the side like it was a friendly dog. But it wasn't the implausibility of a human being accepted among a deer herd that brought him up short; it was how at home Sakura appeared among them. As though here, in the forest, surrounded by wild creatures who behaved as though she were one of their own, was where Sakura truly belonged.

"Hey, Sasuke," she greeted, standing smoothly and making her way over to him. "Naruto bully you into searching for me?"

"The fish are being cooked," he said, unwilling to admit he'd gone searching on his own initiative.

Sakura grinned, taking that as Sasuke's way of admitting that he'd caved to Naruto's prodding – sometimes she thought people gave in to Naruto because it was the only way he'd shut up.

"Guess I worried everyone, huh?" she mused, giving the stag one last pat on the shoulder as she passed him. The deer didn't react – he was still staring warily at Sasuke.

"What were you doing?" Sasuke couldn't help asking.

"I'll explain when we get back, I promise."

-xxx-

Ino walked around the pile of leather and buckles on the ground, cocking her head from one side to another, occasionally glancing at Hatchling in an effort to determine how the saddle fit on her dragon's back.

"Maybe it goes like this..." she mumbled, heaving it onto the Daemon's scaly spine.

Hatchling shifted in place at the unfamiliar weight, and Ino had to seize the saddle in both hands to stop it sliding off.

She examined it critically. It was made of thick, tough leather, designed to withstand wear and tear. It was obviously made to seat two people; there was a flat area she was probably meant to sit in followed by a small back, behind which was another seat and another small rise.

That was easy enough to work out. Ino just couldn't figure out where all the straps and buckles went.

"Need some help?" came a very familiar voice from behind her.

Ino yelped and whirled on the spot, glaring at Shikamaru. "Don't_do_ that!"

Hatchling trilled enthusiastically, her head snaking forward to nudge Shikamaru's arm in a plea for attention. The shadow-user rolled his eyes and scratched the dragon's chin as she warbled in happiness. The Daemon was always glad to see him – a result of her inbuilt pack mentality, Shikamaru supposed. While Ino held the position of surrogate mother and 'alpha female', he, Chouji and Sakura (the ones who had the most interaction with Ino) seemed to be the dragon equivalent of 'pack mates'.

"Do what?" he asked of a fuming Ino.

"Sneak up on me!"

"You're meant to be a ninja," Shikamaru pointed out.

"Tell you what, I'll sneak up on you while you're trying to figure out how to fit a saddle on your dragon and let's see if you jump," she groused.

"I don't have a dragon."

"Then that makes this conversation pretty pointless, doesn't it?" Ino muttered darkly, pulling two straps across Hatchling's chest and trying to work out which buckles they fit into.

Shikamaru sighed, eyeing the saddle as he would a logic puzzle.

"That goes there," he drawled, indicating the strap he referred to and its respective buckle.

Ino blinked, dropping the strap she'd been trying to force into the buckle and seizing the one he'd pointed to, grinning as it slipped through easily and slid smoothly across Hatchling's chest as she tightened it.

Shikamaru moved to help, smirking a little as he watched Ino duck under her dragon's belly to buckle the straps that ran under Hatchling's stomach. The dragon was so big Ino barely had to hunch her shoulders – the blonde woman now had to climb onto the Daemon's back by scrambling up her foreleg.

Hatchling had stopped her headlong rush to full growth, and Ino took that as a sign she was approaching full maturity. In Shikamaru's opinion, the Daemon was already enormous – when she curled up in the park beside Ino's house, she practically took up the entire field.

Hatchling seemed a lot bigger than the dragon corpses they'd examined, but Shikamaru supposed that was the difference between twenty feet of inanimate dead dragon and twenty feet of moving, breathing, live dragon.

"Good girl," Ino cooed, rubbing her hand along Hatchling's neck. "Very good girl."

The bridle went on with little difficulty – it was far simpler to figure out than the myriad of loops and cinches that had been the saddle's fastenings.

Hatchling shook her head a little, apparently puzzled by the contraption on her head. The reins whipped about, and Ino seized them just in time to keep herself from being hit in the face.

Shikamaru watched as the blonde scrambled into the saddle – reins in one hand – settling in with a broad grin on her face.

"This is much more comfortable than bare scales," she confided to him, bouncing in the saddle like a child. Hatchling remained as steady as a rock underneath her.

"At least we won't need to learn the turn cues now, eh girl?" Ino said, jiggling the reins in her hand.

She tugged lightly on the left rein. At first, Hatchling resisted, confused about the gentle, inexorable pull on the left side of her face. Then, slowly, gradually, her neck relaxed, and her head began to turn.

As soon as Hatchling's head had leaned the slightest bit to the left Ino relaxed the rein, leaning forward to scratch the dragon's neck and coo encouragement and praise.

"I need to get her used to this gradually," she explained to Shikamaru. "She needs to get accustomed to the saddle and bridle, and I need to teach her to respond to the reins."

"And then?"

"And then we take to the air."

-xxx-

Tenten watched as Sakura moved through the forest, following whatever path was written in her mind.

When they sat down to a breakfast of fire-cooked fish, Sakura had explained that she'd run from their campsite because, in some strange way, she'd been able to feel the fish dying.

Up until that point, Tenten had thought that Sakura's powers were fantastic – the sort of abilities she wouldn't ming having herself. She'd never thought they might be a double-edged sword; capable of doing as much damage to her as they inflicted on her enemies.

As she watched, Sakura suddenly stopped, her head cocked to one side, as though listening for a voice none but she could hear.

"What is it?" Hinata asked.

"There's something up ahead," Sakura murmured, her eyes distant, as though focusing on something just beyond the horizon. "I can't be sure...but I think it's a Faerie..."

"A Faerie?" Naruto frowned. "Hey, aren't they supposed to only be in the Otherworld?"

"That was my understanding," Sakura said. "You guys stay here – I'll check it out."

And before anyone could raise any objections, she darted off through the trees.

As she left, Tenten couldn't help but notice how undetectable her movement was. The movements of her arms and legs told the brunette that Sakura was clearly making no effort at moving quietly, yet her passage through the forest was completely silent. It was like watching a television on mute; you knew there should be sound – Sakura was moving like she should be making noise – but there was nothing.

And as if that wasn't enough, Sakura also wasn't leaving any tracks. The flattened grass simply sprang back after she stepped on it, the bushes that parted for her slid back into place as smoothly as water.

It was as though all traces of Sakura – tracks, sound, _everything_ – was simply absorbed into the land around her.

For a moment, their small group waited quietly, on the alert for a call of alarm from Sakura.

But instead, they heard laughter. Voices were raised in joy and affection, and then Sakura called out to them, beckoning them onwards.

They moved forwards, and found themselves in a clearing so large they could see clear sky, unbroken by stray branches or leaves.

Tenten was a little startled at the sight that met her eyes. Sakura was grinning broadly, standing next to a very tall woman who probably could have been mistaken for her sister – except that her features were far more delicate and refined than Tenten had seen on any human woman.

"Neji, Tenten...this is my mother, Haruno Mikiko," Sakura introduced. "Mum, meet Hyuuga Neji and Tenten. Everyone else you already know."

Tenten smiled, shaking the hand Mikiko offered to her.

"Hey, I thought you said your Mum couldn't come back to the human world," Naruto pointed out.

"I couldn't come back to Konoha through my tree," Mikiko corrected. "But this is the site of the Deepest Well; it was simple to cross the barrier here and maintain my connection to the Otherworld, though I'm unable to leave this clearing."

"So this is the Deepest Well?" Hinata asked, looking around the clearing. "It doesn't seem any different from the rest of the forest."

"Why should it?" Mikiko shrugged.

"It _feels_ different," Sakura whispered, her eyes wandering the clearing as though she could see the magic that hung in the air.

Then she suddenly turned, her head swinging towards movement on the edge of the clearing.

A large stag was walking towards them through the trees. The deer's coat was albino white, but his antlers and his legs below the knee were jet black. His colour wasn't the only thing unusual about him – Sakura could feel something in the air, a hum of power that told her this was no ordinary animal.

"What's that?" Neji asked quietly, body tensing.

"He is the Gate Keeper," Mikiko explained. "He appears whenever someone crosses into the Otherworld from the Deepest Well – he controls their passage."

"How does he know when to appear?" Sasuke asked, his eyes wary.

"He just does."

Sakura nodded absently, suddenly realising why Itachi had to use his friend's spirit to bypass the Gate Keeper. "What kind of Faerie is he?"

Mikiko shrugged. "No one really knows. He's the oldest of the Faerie – he was here even before the Faerie Lord. It's said he's Haevyn's own creation, or an extension of her magic...or even her child, who knows? I don't think even he knows what he is."

"Sounds creepy," Tenten muttered, watching the stag.

Mikiko's lips twitched towards a smile. "Maybe so. He's a mystery – even Cohen doesn't understand what he is, because he's not part of the Faerie Court. He doesn't bow to the Faerie Lord; he himself has said that he owes allegiance to no one but Haevyn."

"But didn't the goddess disappear?" Hinata pointed out.

Mikiko nodded. "Some Faerie are uneasy about his motives since she's vanished...but he hasn't betrayed us yet, so I'm inclined to trust him."

"That's another point to consider," Sakura mused. "It's all very well to talk about raising a Faerie army to fight the Daemons, but what about Itachi or Skwall or whatever he is now? How do we fight him?"

"I honestly don't know," Mikiko said bleakly. "I think that's the reason why so many of the Faerie don't want to admit Skwall has returned – because it would mean admitting that our greatest enemy has risen again, and this time we have no weapon against him."

The Faerie stag had drawn quite close by now, and Mikiko broke off her conversation to call out to him. "Gate Keeper! We seek passage to the Otherworld."

"Treesinger," the Gate Keeper's head nodded in acknowledgment. "You brought humans with you."

"I know, Gate Keeper," Mikiko said formally. "But I believe these humans can be trusted."

Sakura had a moment to think about how surreal it was to hear a coherent, speaking voice come from a deer's mouth before the Gate Keeper turned to her.

"Haruno Sakura."

He offered nothing more, and Sakura blinked in bewilderment, unsure of the appropriate response. "Ummm...hi?"

The Gate Keeper moved past Mikiko, coming to stand right in front of Sakura, his eyes looking straight into hers. She resisted the urge to squirm, feeling as though he were somehow seeing past her flesh, as though he were gazing deep into the core of her being and carefully examining what he saw.

"Do you vouch for these humans?" he asked abruptly.

Stunned, and not quite sure what was going on, Sakura simply nodded.

"Even him?" the Gate Keeper continued, his eyes flicking to Sasuke.

Sakura frowned. "Why would Sasuke be any diff...oh, the Sharingan! Well, he might have one of Skwall's abilities, but he's on our side-"

"I do not speak of the human's abilities, but of his history." The Gate Keeper was staring levelly at Sasuke, and the Uchiha was glaring right back. "He is a traitor."

Sakura worked to keep her jaw from dropping. "How...?"

"I can smell it on him." The stag's velvety nose wrinkled, as though in contempt. "There is nothing more despicable than a creature who repays kindness and love with pain and treachery."

It might have been Naruto's imagination, but just for moment, he could have sworn he saw Sasuke's jaw tighten, as though he'd been physically struck.

"Yeah, yeah, deepest circle of hell is reserved for betrayers and all that," Sakura said, waving the Gate Keeper's comments away. "Nevertheless...he's my friend – he's coming with us."

The Gate Keeper nodded, and Sakura had the feeling she'd just passed some sort of test. "Very well. I will open the Deepest Well for you, Haruno Sakura, and you and your companions may pass into the Otherworld with my blessing."

He strode away, then began pacing in a tight circle, obviously performing some sort of magic designed to open whatever metaphysical door they were about to step through.

"What was that about?" Sakura asked Mikiko, deeply puzzled.

"I don't know," Mikiko admitted quietly, watching the white stag with black legs and antlers walk out the Gate. "He's never done anything like that before. Usually, he examines each candidate and passes judgment individually...I've never heard of him asking someone to vouch for an entire group."

"I didn't mean that," Sakura corrected. "I meant his problem with Sasuke – what was that about?"

"Yeah, he seemed pretty grumpy," Naruto muttered.

"Faerie can sense...I suppose it would be best described as 'auras'," Mikiko explained. Sakura suddenly wondered if that was the 'life force' sensation she'd felt earlier. "What you do in your life shapes your aura to a certain extent – large events like saving someone's life at a risk to your own, or betraying a trusted friend...they leave an imprint in the aura."

"You learn something new everyday," Sakura remarked, considering the concept. "Can all Faerie do that?"

Mikiko nodded.

"Sorry about that, Sasuke," Sakura said, turning to the Uchiha. "I didn't know they could do that."

Sasuke shrugged, not wanting to admit how uncomfortable such a frank discussion of his sins had made him. What truly bewildered him was that neither Naruto nor Sakura seemed bothered or upset by the mention of what he'd done.

"Hey, Mum, just out of curiosity..." Sakura began, her thoughts having drifted elsewhere. "How could you bring me to the Otherworld if he controls the passage between this world and the Otherworld?"

"My tree – my anchor in this world – is like a private door," Mikiko replied. "The Gate Keeper is aware of my passage, but not directly involved. And because you were my child, I could bring you through as well."

"Right," Sakura nodded. "Sort of like how it's easier to get travel papers to another country if your Mum or Dad came from there."

"The simile's rather flawed, but I suppose so." Mikiko hesitated. "I've been meaning to ask you, Sakura...why don't you have any boots on?"

Sakura smiled a little. "I'll explain later."

"Check that out!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed, pointing at the Gate Keeper.

The ground that the stag was pacing around was beginning to shimmer and ripple, like an image reflected on turbulent water. As they watched, the ground itself seemed to disappear, melting away into what looked like a hole full of white, swirling mist.

The Gate Keeper stepped back. "The Gate has been opened."

"Jump in," Mikiko urged as the small group gathered on the edge.

"Uh...no offense intended, Mum...but can you go first?" Sakura asked, peering warily into the Gate. "To show us how?"

Mikiko gave her daughter an indulgent smile, and simply stepped into the Gate as though she were stepping off a diving board. She plunged into the mist and was instantly lost from sight.

"Creepy," Tenten commented. "Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained..."

And the brunette promptly followed Mikiko's example, jumping into the Gate like a child playing hopscotch.

"Tenten!" Neji barked in shock, reaching for her automatically as she vanished.

With a sigh and something that sounded like 'impulsive, crazy woman', Neji pursued her.

Naruto jumped next, followed by Hinata, and then it was only Sasuke and Sakura left on the rim of the Gate.

"Go on," Sasuke said, gesturing to the Gate.

"I think you should go," Sakura said honestly. "The Gate Keeper didn't seem to like you – if you go last, he might shut you out on principle. You go, and I'll follow."

"Sakura..."

"Don't make me kick you in, Sasuke, because I _will_ do it."

"I'm not leaving you alone up here."

Sakura absolutely refused to think about the possible subtle implications of that statement, and instead focused on the obvious – Sasuke didn't think she could take care of herself.

"Oh, for the love of-" Sakura's hand lashed out, faster than even Sasuke could react to at such close range. She caught him in the small of the back, and sent him plummeting through the Gate.

"Macho, posturing idiot," Sakura growled after him.

But just as she was stepping into the Gate, something made her turn around.

The Gate Keeper was standing at the edge of the clearing again, his dark eyes fixed unblinkingly on her. And as she watched him, his head suddenly began to dip. One foreleg folded, and his neck bent until the tips of his antlers almost touched the ground.

Sakura blinked, startled, then whipped around and leapt into the Gate, trying not to think about what she'd just seen.

Trying not to think about the fact that it seemed that the Gate Keeper, the most ancient of all Faerie, the one who owed fealty to nothing and no one...had just bowed to her.

-xxx-

Sakura felt as though she'd only fallen a foot or two before she landed on smooth, cool stone. But the mist had cleared, and she had the impression that this wide stone bridge was in the middle of an enormous well. Below the bridge was nothing but murky grey mist that shifted and swirled in a non-existent wind.

She supposed that was why they called it the Deepest Well.

She and the others had come to rest in the centre of the bridge, beside a small stone altar with a tree growing out of it. One side was green and growing, while the other side was grey and dead; they looked so different that for a moment Sakura thought two trees were growing out of the altar. The divide in the tree seemed to correspond to the bridge's destination – on the side that was grey and dead, the bridge led to nothing but black miasma, and on the other side it led to white mist, similar to the mist they'd seen when the Gate opened.

_'Dead down below...life above,'_ Sakura mused. _'And Elseworld and Otherworld between life and death?'_

She thought about that for a moment, but it creeped her out, and she soon stopped.

"I take it that's our destination," she said, nodding to white mist and pretending she didn't see the way Sasuke was glaring at her. Probably still pissed that she'd shoved him.

Sasuke was rather irritated that she'd managed to catch him off guard, but the truth was that it was very hard to dodge Sakura's blows unless you had a distance of several feet between you and her, and had time to see the pseudo-attack coming. It wasn't that Sakura was especially fast, more that you never really sensed her blows coming. Most ninjas were accustomed to feeling a surge of killing intent, or hatred, or malice, before someone tried to strike at them, and became adept at picking up such intent.

But Sakura's blows were always driven by frustration and annoyance, and those emotions rarely set off alarm bells in a ninja's mind until it was too late.

"Follow me," Mikiko instructed.

"You know, it's pretty lucky we landed on the bridge," Naruto reflected. "If we'd missed-"

"You wouldn't have 'missed', as you put it," Mikiko said. "You can't."

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked.

"Try to walk off the bridge."

Hinata hesitated, then walked towards the edge. Or at least, she tried to walk towards the edge. But whenever she got close, her feet simply turned away from it.

"I can't," she admitted. "Why-?"

"Because you're alive," Mikiko said simply.

They trooped across the bridge in single file. Sakura looked up at the tree as they passed it...and was suddenly struck by the idea that she'd seen it before.

"What's wrong, Sakura?" Tenten asked, seeing the vacant look on her face.

"I'm feeling a bit of deja vu," she admitted. "Hey, Mum, did this tree...this is going to sound crazy, but did this tree ever have a white peach on it?"

"Yes, it did," Mikiko said, her eyes wary. "This tree used to contain the essence of Skwall and Haevyn in the form of two peaches, one black and one white. Taking a bite of the fruit forged a brief connection to the god or goddess essence. Faerie often used it in rituals – a selected Faerie would take a bite of the white peach and ask Haevyn for some of her essence to lend her power to whatever magical working the Faerie were undertaking. She could refuse to grant power, of course, but I've never known her to do so, and the peach always regenerated afterwards."

"So Itachi must have eaten the whole thing, right?" Sakura assumed. "To merge fully with Skwall, I mean."

"I'd assume so," Mikiko agreed. "The day Haevyn and Skwall disappeared, the fruit vanished, too. But how did you know that? When did you see this tree?"

Sakura shrugged. "I don't know. I just have this picture in my head of this tree with a white peach on it...maybe I saw it in a book of fairytales or something?"

Mikiko didn't look convinced, but dropped the subject as they stepped through the mist and entered the Otherworld.

-xxx-

Later, Sakura would wonder if it was some sort of omen – that the first contact they had with Faerie was hostile.

No sooner had her small group taken five steps into the Otherworld than they were accosted by centaurs, who surrounded the group and demanded to know why humans were in the Otherworld. Sakura knew her friends had been surprised – Faerie centaurs weren't like the centaurs in storybooks. For one, they weren't half-horse; below the waist, their body was that of a deer. For another, they were all male – as there were no female Daemon satyrs, so there were no female Faerie centaurs.

Just as Sakura was beginning to despair of getting away from the Otherworld's impromptu guards, the Gate Keeper appeared at her shoulder, apparently stepping out of thin air.

Mikiko gasped, and the centaurs stumbled back a few steps.

"Hey," Sakura said, a little unsure as to why he'd appeared.

As though he'd heard her silent question, the Gate Keeper turned to her. "Your passage through the Otherworld will be smoother if I accompany you."

"Okay," Sakura nodded, chancing a glance back at her friends. They'd been very quiet lately, especially Sasuke and Neji.

Then again, they were probably taking everything in. Even Sakura found she'd forgotten how overwhelming the Otherworld could be.

They'd entered the Faerie's realm in a meadow, strikingly similar to one they'd find in their own realm, save in the Otherworld, everything was somehow...more. The plants seemed larger, healthier, colours seemed brighter...it was more like a painting than an actual world – more like what the world _could_ be, rather than what it was.

Sometimes, Sakura wondered if the human realm was just some sort of reflection of the Otherworld and the Elseworld combined somehow.

"He's never done anything like this," Mikiko whispered as Sakura followed the Gate Keeper. "I've never heard of him ever doing something like this."

Mikiko's unease communicated itself to Sakura, and she cast a sidelong glance at the white stag. "Never?"

"Never."

The half-Faerie shrugged diplomatically. "Maybe he knows what Skwall's up to, and so he's helping us get to the Faerie Lord?"

"I suppose it's possible," Mikiko said slowly.

But some part of her was wondering. Wondering why the Gate Keeper, who bowed to no human, Faerie or Daemon should ask Sakura to vouch for them, and then accompany them through the Otherworld.

Wondering why her daughter could remember the tree in the Deepest Well, when Mikiko had never taken her there.

-xxx-

"What are those?" Tenten suddenly hissed, tugging on Sakura's wrist and nodding in the direction of what looked like a swarm of butterflies.

Except that in among the butterflies were tiny, winged humanoids.

"Those are pixies," Sakura explained, as Mikiko was still too preoccupied with the Gate Keeper's presence to answer. "They're the ones that gave the Aburame clan their affinity with insects, remember?"

This provided the perfect segue into informing her companions about the sort of Faerie they could expect to encounter. Aside from the unicorns, pixies, wargs and nymphs, there were also the centaurs, who roamed the plains and meadows, and the selkies.

Selkies were the Faerie equivalent of harpies – a race that was entirely female. They were part seal, lived in the ocean, and were probably the origin of the mermaid myths. But as they lived in the ocean, they probably wouldn't see any, unless a few came swimming up through the rivers to see the humans.

"Hey, what's that?" Naruto chimed, pointing to a large ring of standing stones.

"That is the Faerie Court," Mikiko replied. "Home of Cohen, the Faerie Lord."

-xxx-

The Gate Keeper had left them when the Faerie Lord greeted them. At Cohen's request, Sakura had related her encounter with Itachi, explaining the re-awakening of her powers, the fact that shoes were no longer a necessity for her, and her new level of connection to the land.

When she finished, Mikiko was so clearly shocked by the details of her abilities that Sakura began to fiddle nervously the hem of her shirt, feeling as though she were some sort of freak.

"Other Faerie can do that, too, right?" she said, a nervous grin hovering on her face, as though too anxious to really land. "Other Faerie can do that, too."

Slowly, Mikiko shook her head.

"Only I have ever achieved that level of connection to the land," Cohen informed her gravely. "And even I have never experienced a phenomenon like this," he gestured to her bare feet.

"Oh..." Sakura said quietly.

_'Freak,'_ rang softly in her head. _'Not like a human...but not like a Faerie either...'_

Firmly telling herself she wouldn't think about that, Sakura went on, "But that's not important right now – we have bigger problems. How do we go about convincing the Faerie? I mean, no offense intended to your people or anything, but some of them were looking at us like they wouldn't believe what we say on principle."

The Faerie Lord gave Sakura a measuring look. "Interesting..."

"What's interesting?" Naruto asked, and Hinata sighed quietly. She and the others had been remaining prudently quiet, choosing to let Mikiko and Sakura – the ones who'd had prior contact with the Faerie Lord – do the talking. But Naruto had never been one to let prudence and courtesy stand in his way.

"Sakura refers to the Faerie as my people, not hers," Cohen pointed out, then addressed the medic once more. "They are just as much your people as they are mine, Sakura. You belong to the Faerie Court as much as you belong to Konoha."

Naruto frowned, and several members of the team shifted uncomfortably, suddenly struck by the realisation that the Faerie Lord was right – Sakura had as much of a right to the Otherworld as she did to the human realm. If she chose to live with the Faerie, in the beautiful world of magical beings and peace, some people might protest, but no one could deny her.

"Excuse me, but I don't think so," Sakura said in a level voice. "My mother is a Faerie, I was born half-Faerie, yes...but what happened after that?"

At the puzzled stares she was receiving, Sakura elaborated, "I was raised in a human society, I made human friends, I worked a human job...I've lived a human life. My lineage and my abilities might make me half-Faerie, but in terms of society, I think of myself as a human. For better or for worse, I'm in the _Homo sapiens_ corner, and it's there I'll stay."

"Sakura..." Mikiko groaned, wondering at her child's audacity to speak to the Faerie Lord in such a manner.

"Sorry, Mum." She gave a sheepish grin. "Don't get me wrong – I love you, and I'm willing to do everything I can to help the Faerie. But I just want the Faerie Lord to understand that if push comes to shove – it comes down to Faerie versus humans...then I'll be with the humans."

Cohen nodded his head once, as though in acknowledgment of a point well-made. "Fair enough, Sakura. And you're right – many Faerie distrust humans, though your choice of companions," he nodded at the group at large, particularly the Hyuugas, "Has probably made that distrust hover at the non-verbal level for the most part."

"So how do we convince them?" Sakura asked, resorting to ruthless practicality.

"Gradual persuasion is probably your only hope. Start subtly – when they ask why you're here, tell them about Skwall. They'll say you're lying, but it will get them thinking."

Sakura nodded and waited. But when it appeared no further advice was forthcoming, she spoke again. "That's it? We don't have time for gradual persuasion – we need to convince them now! Skwall's probably attacking Konoha as we speak!"

Cohen shrugged, and Sakura had moment to feel grateful that he was such a relaxed ruler – she had a feeling an outburst like that in front of any other leader would have gotten her in a lot of trouble. But the Faerie Lord actually seemed to respect people when they spoke their minds.

"Is there no way we can convince them quickly?" she tried again. "Or somehow prove we can be trusted?"

Cohen paused. "Well, there is one thing..."

"What?"

"I could perform a Binding."

"Excuse me?"

"It's a ritual that binds you to the land," Cohen explained. "It's just a formality, really; you probably won't notice any change, but becoming part of the land – even in such a casual way – will inspire a lot of faith in you. You needn't fear any ill effects – this ritual was used quite often when Faerie/human interaction was commonplace."

"What exactly does this ritual entail?" Sakura asked.

"Not much. A little magic, a little ceremony for the benefit of the watchers, and I bestow a 'land name' on you."

"A what?" Naruto piped up again.

"A land name," Cohen repeated. "A formal identification, signifying a Faerie's connection to the land, though in your cases it will probably describe some aspect of yourself. Sakura's mother has the land name of Treesinger, for example."

Naruto nodded vaguely.

"Is that okay with everyone?" Sakura asked, looking at her friends.

Receiving cautious agreement, she turned back to the Faerie Lord. "Well, then lets get this ritual thing underway, then."

"There's one problem, Sakura," Cohen said carefully.

"What?"

"The ritual can only be performed at the full moon."


	14. Full Moon

**Chapter 14**

**Full Moon**

Sakura really wished there was something around to kick. She probably could have vented her frustration on the trees, but the trouble with hearing plants was that you didn't want to do anything to hurt them.

She'd wanted to kick the standing stones but decided against it – they were so clearly charged with magic she'd probably get an ancient Faerie curse on her for even trying.

The fact that she had no way to release her frustration simply made her more irritated.

"Eight days!" she hissed. "We have to wait for eight days!"

Tenten gave the medic a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "Take it easy, Sakura. Konoha's managed to hold for this long; I doubt everything will go to hell in a little over a week."

But she could certainly understand her friend's point of view. It wasn't that Sakura thought the village couldn't function without her – it was the fact she didn't know what was happening to said village that troubled her. No ninja liked to be in the dark, especially regarding the wellbeing of their friends and comrades.

Sakura sighed, trying to calm herself down as she acknowledged that Tenten was right. She was just frustrated – she'd been counting on the Faerie being willing to help, and now that it was apparent they weren't...

Another sigh, and she sank to the ground, resting her arms on her knees and staring idly at the forest into which Cohen and Mikiko had disappeared. When she first saw the flash of white, she thought it was her mother's dress...until the figure resolved into a long-limbed, silver-haired woman. The pale hair and the unusual, high-stepping walk told Sakura that this was a unicorn in her human form.

The unicorn gazed around as she made her way through the grass, her silvery eyes lighting as they landed on the small group of humans. This was hardly uncommon – Sakura had lost count of how many Faerie had passed through the small meadow simply to goggle at the small group of humans sitting among the standing stones – but this unicorn wasn't staring at the group in general; her eyes were wandering over their features, as though searching for something, and now that Sakura could see her face more clearly the unicorn _did_ seem rather familiar...

The moment their eyes met, the unicorn grinned. "Hey, Twig!"

For a second, Sakura was struck mute as the nickname triggered a rush of memory and emotion, but then she recovered enough to smile back. "Salena!"

Ignoring her friends' surprise, she practically leapt to her feet to greet the unicorn, finding herself pulled into an embrace that was eager yet tentative, as though Salena was unsure of how Sakura would react.

But then, it had been over ten years since they'd last seen each other, and Sakura found she was feeling a bit shy around her childhood friend as well.

"I heard that you were in the Otherworld with a bunch of humans," Salena commented, glancing around at the group.

"You mean someone said Mikiko's half-breed had come back with a posse," Sakura joked.

Salena shrugged, which all present took to mean that Sakura was right.

"Come on, Salena," the half-nymph said. "I'll introduce you to everyone."

-xxx-

"Okay...here we go..." Ino murmured, shifting in the saddle. "Ready, girl?"

Hatchling chirruped softly as the blonde rubbed the scales of her neck.

They were perched on top of the Hokage monument, preparing to take their first flight as rider and dragon. Hatchling had been flying around the village on her own recently, but this would be the first time Ino attempted to ride her Daemon while in flight.

"Okay, we're ready," Ino told herself, gripping the reins perhaps a little more tightly than was necessary. "Hatchling..._giddy-up!_"

And the next instant, Ino was clinging to Hatchling's neck as the dragon gathered her legs beneath her and hurled herself into the air.

For a moment, Ino felt a simultaneously invigorating and terrifying sense of weightlessness, before gravity began to assert itself once more. She felt Hatchling dip towards the ground, but then two enormous wings opened on either side of her and began to beat powerfully and steadily, maintaining their position in the air. The wind from the dragon's wings buffeted Ino like a miniature hurricane, and it took several long minutes for her to gather enough courage to loosen her death grip on the Daemon's neck.

But she couldn't keep her grip from tightening again when she chanced a look down and saw the rooftops of Konoha reduced to multi-coloured squares about the size you'd find on a chessboard. Her stomach clenched, and while Ino had no real phobia of heights, every instinct she possessed was screaming at her to get back on the ground – but she supposed that was to be expected when you were a hundred or so feet up in the air with nothing to stop you falling but a saddle and your own grasp on your dragon's neck.

Taking a deep, slightly shaky breath, Ino forced herself to release Hatchling's neck and take a proper grasp of the reins. A soft tug on the left rein – with Ino pulling downwards as well – and Hatchling turned in mid-air, swooping towards the ground. Wind screamed in the blonde's face, making her eyes water, and she made a mental note to wear goggles the next time she tried this.

When Hatchling began to drop too low, Ino gave another tug on the reins, this time titling them upwards, and Hatchling pulled her head up and shot straight into the sky.

By this point, the slight discomfort of the wind and Ino's anxiety about falling had taken a backseat to her rapidly growing sense of enjoyment in the wild flight.

In fact, when she guided Hatchling through another acrobatic dip, she was unable to resist an enthusiastic shriek of excitement.

"_We're flying!_" Ino shouted to Konoha at large, knowing they probably couldn't hear her from their height and not really caring.

Hatchling gave a strangely musical screech, as though egged on by her rider's yell. Ino's mind drew parallels to those dogs that barked and howled when people made barking sounds at them.

They stayed aloft for perhaps fifteen minutes before Ino began to think about landing. She guided Hatchling into a low flight over the rooftops, looking for a large open space to touch down in. Her eyes were instantly drawn to the park, and she grinned when she recognised the two men sitting at one of the picnic tables, bent over a game of shogi.

For Chouji and Shikamaru's part, they were completely unaware they had an observer until they heard Ino call their names (sounding more...vertically positioned than usual) and a large, winged shadow glided over the grass.

Even Shikamaru's eyebrows climbed a little when they looked up. On the ground, Hatchling was certainly huge, but in the air she looked enormous; as though her wingspan could cover half of Konoha.

Logically, Shikamaru knew it wasn't true – size was hard to judge when things were in the air, and you almost always ended up overestimating living creatures – but it was still an impressive sight.

"Good girl," Ino praised when Hatchling banked and landed neatly on the grassy field.

"Our first flight," she bragged to Shikamaru and Chouji, slipping her feet from the stirrups and sliding to the ground. Now that Hatchling was full grown, it was quite a drop, but ninja training allowed her to land on the ground without even a twinge of pain from her feet as she impacted.

Hatchling was already greeting her 'packmates' with happy trills and enthusiastic nudges. Chouji scratched her under the chin, around the bridle straps, and the dragon's eyes slid half-closed as she warbled in bliss. Her tail flicked lazily, and lashed against a tree on the very edge of the park.

"Geez, she's getting big," Chouji mused, "A hundred feet long, at least."

"Don't be ridiculous," Ino said. "Sakura said dragons never grow bigger than twenty feet. Except for Stormseeker, but he's a special case."

"I don't care what you say, she looks like a behemoth in the air," Chouji snorted.

"Has anyone actually measured her?" Shikamaru asked, his eyes running the length of the dragon, calculating the relative positions of nose and tail, and coming up with an estimate a lot bigger than twenty.

"I suppose the saddle guy did, but I didn't ask him – didn't see the point," Ino said honestly. "It's not like she sleeps in the house and I need to know which rooms she'll fit in...and it's a good thing she doesn't need to eat or the whole village would be starving by now."

Chouji snickered, and Hatchling chirruped gratefully as her surrogate mother removed the bridle. Ino always took the more constricting bridle off first and bundled the leather up in her arms, while she waited until they were home to remove the heavier saddle.

"Our first flight!" the blonde beamed. "And you were such a good girl! Wait until I tell Lady Tsunade – we'll be flying scouting missions in no time."

Shikamaru smirked at her obvious enthusiasm. He knew Ino had been looking forward to the day when she and Hatchling could be useful to Konoha as a team. But scouting missions were as far as it went – Ino had told him herself that fighting on Hatchling's back would be ridiculous, especially considering her style of combat. She'd end up more hindrance to the dragon than help.

"We need to let the Hokage know right away," Ino continued, already making her way out of the park. "Bye, Shikamaru, bye, Chouji...Hatchling..._heel!_"

Shikamaru couldn't suppress a slight chuckle as he watched the enormous dragon follow Ino out of the park like a faithful dog with its master.

-xxx-

Sakura skimmed the flat rock across the still surface of the lake, watching the ripples track its path until the stone sank beneath the surface.

"Four!" she proclaimed, letting a cocky grin light her face as she turned to her friends. "Bet you can't beat that!"

It was purely for show, of course – Naruto might be hard-pressed to beat it, but Sakura had a feeling Tenten would be able to shatter that record.

She was proved correct when Naruto's stone only skipped three times before sinking. Tenten wandered along the lakeside, picking up pebbles, weighing and balancing them in her hand, before discarding them again. Eventually she located one that seemed to satisfy whatever criteria she was measuring them against, and she approached the lake with a smooth, flat rock held in one hand.

Tenten pulled her arm back, narrowed her eyes as she regarded the glassy surface of the water, then flicked her wrist and released the stone from her grasp.

It skipped eight times before it sank.

The brunette snickered, sitting down and leaning back against a nearby tree with the air of one who was very pleased with their work.

Sakura allowed herself a tiny smile as Naruto complained.

She could admit that waiting for the full moon wasn't as arduous as she'd initially thought. Sure, she worried about Ino, Tsunade, Kakashi and everyone else, but she knew there was nothing she could do about it, so she tried to keep herself from thinking about it.

It hadn't been all the difficult, especially with the company she was keeping. Naruto and Tenten, in particular, were always up for some pointless physical competition.

She'd shown her friends what she knew of the Otherworld, Salena had introduced them to the herd she ran with (and Sakura still thought it was eerie how similar unicorn and Hyuuga eyes looked), they'd met Jalind – the water nymph grown from a trickling stream to a deep river – and had been accosted by any number of Faerie. Some had been hostile, of course, but several had been curious, and some had even been sympathetic to their cause (probably those Mikiko and Cohen had already convinced).

The group of humans had set up camp on the lake shore, close to the edge of the forest, and Sakura thought they had managed to coexist with the Faerie rather well – at least, so far. There had been some problems about finding something to eat; most animals here were either Faerie in their true form or friends of Faerie. Even only eating fruits and vegetables, they had to ask permission of whatever tree nymph oversaw the plant to pick them – it was easier to convince them when Sakura promised to grow it back.

Sakura thought she knew why Faerie never bothered to eat in the Otherworld – it was simply too much of a hassle.

Visitors to their camp had been abundant. Cohen and Mikiko dropped by periodically; the Faerie Lord to check on their well-being, and inform them about the ceremony, and Mikiko to simply talk to her daughter and her daughter's friends. Salena called by frequently, insisting on calling Sakura by the nickname she'd coined when they were children, 'Twig', supposedly developed because Sakura was small and part tree nymph.

Strangely enough, the Gate Keeper also came to speak with them, though mainly to Sakura. At first, the half-nymph had been a little unnerved by his visits – since so many Faerie were so disconcerted by it – but then she'd found herself grateful for his presence. Not only because he lent credibility to their tale, but also because it was often the Gate Keeper who answered many of her and her friends' questions about the Otherworld and the Faerie.

Sakura had always been mystified by the Faerie's obvious distrust of humans, and had often thought it had to have some cause – perhaps there had been a war long ago? And it was the Gate Keeper who had told her that there was never any concrete falling out between the humans and the Faerie; the predominant Faerie attitude was simply a result of centuries of separation. And there was resentment as well – as human civilization had expanded, the wild world that so many Faerie inhabited shrunk, until they finally migrated to the Otherworld permanently.

She'd asked him about what Mikiko said – about the Faerie being able to see auras – and the Gate Keeper had explained that auras were like a reflection of someone's soul. Faerie could see them because their magic allowed a deeper contact with their soul – their essence – than that of a human. Sakura wasn't quite sure what he meant by that, but figured she could ask him later.

And it was the Gate Keeper who had told her the ritual would involve being marked with his blood. When Sakura – more than a little horrified – had asked why, he'd said that because he guarded the border to the Otherworld, the Binding required his blood to initiate humans into the Faerie. He'd admitted that much of the Binding was largely for show, more ceremonial and traditional than actually necessary. Sakura supposed it was rather like a wedding – to get married, all you really needed to do was sign a marriage registry with witnesses, but tradition and ceremony combined to make the usual wedding quite a lengthly event.

Sakura was brought out of her reverie when Naruto managed to skip a stone five times – beating her own record, but falling far short of Tenten's. His grumblings prompted Tenten to a smug smile, and when Sakura glanced back at their three spectators, she thought she saw a hint of pride in Neji's eyes.

Hinata was sitting beside her cousin, smiling at her boyfriend's antics, while Sasuke was resting on a low tree branch and surveying the scene with his usual unreadable expression.

Sometimes, she wondered if Sasuke's facial muscles had permanently atrophied.

Sakura turned her head as she became aware of a Faerie approaching. Magic that felt as ancient as the very hills told her that this was the Gate Keeper long before she spotted the white stag.

"Greetings, Haruno Sakura," the Gate Keeper nodded at her.

"Hey, Gate Keeper." Sakura had never been able to maintain the formality he spoke with, but he didn't seem to expect reciprocation, so she supposed it was alright.

The others extended their own greetings, except Sasuke, who stayed silent and refused to move from his bough. He and the Gate Keeper didn't think much of each other, and Sasuke seemed in no hurry to change this arrangement. Sometimes Sakura wondered why she'd ever thought it was a good idea to bring him along on a diplomatic mission.

Sakura felt the Gate Keeper's eyes on her as she turned to the lake to skip one more stone. This was a frequent occurrence; it seemed that when he was with them, the Gate Keeper did nothing but stare at her. Sakura had a nagging feeling that he was studying her somehow, and his trips to the Otherworld were merely an excuse for a closer examination.

"Hey, there's something I've been wondering about..." Tenten began, shooting the Faerie deer a sideways glance. "About the way Faerie have several forms...how does that work?"

"The Faerie essence – their souls, if you will – are far more malleable than humans," the Gate Keeper began. "For them, slipping between their forms is no more difficult than changing clothes."

"So each shape is like a different outfit," Hinata surmised.

"Precisely," the Gate Keeper nodded.

"But then how could Mum have become trapped?" Sakura had to ask.

"When Treesinger fought the dragon Stormseeker, her powers were all but expended. For Faerie, our power is linked to our essence, and when the essence is depleted or stretched too thin, change is difficult."

"Like having your clothes melted onto your body," Naruto chimed in.

Neji suddenly spoke up, "Is it possible for Faerie magic to work on another's essence?"

Sakura didn't know why Neji was asking such a question, and told him so. But it wasn't Neji who answered – it was Tenten.

"He wants to know if the Faerie could split Itachi's soul from Skwall, right?"

At Neji's look of surprise, Tenten smiled. "Neji, we've been teammates for years – I think I've got your mental processes pretty much understood by now."

"Oh." Sakura could practically see Neji wondering if he was that obvious to everyone, or just Tenten. Still, whatever conclusion he drew, he didn't mention it; he just turned to the Gate Keeper and awaited the answer to his question.

"I don't believe anyone could sever Skwall's essence from that of his vessel's," the stag said bluntly. "Some Faerie are powerful enough to work their will on another's essence, true...but even then, there are limitations."

Tenten frowned. "What sort of limitations?"

The Gate Keeper turned to her. "If my power was such, and I tried to change your essence – and thus, change your shape – it would be nigh-impossible to change you into a field mouse. There is very little of the field mouse in your essence. But if I tried to change you into a tigress, a deadly predator whose step was silent and whose claws and fangs meant death...I might be able to manage that."

"Oh," Tenten said softly.

"But you are human, not Faerie," the Gate Keeper continued. "Your essence is not so malleable as a nymph's or unicorn's. If I changed you, your essence would be that of a tigress, your mind would be that of a tigress, your needs and wants, loves and desires would be those of a swift, deadly hunter. You may or may not remember what you had been, but you would never find your way back to being what you were without magical assistance. If I changed you, unless another Faerie tried to change you back, you would be a tigress to the end of your days."

Tenten looked a little shaken at the idea, and Neji was glaring at the Gate Keeper. Whether he realised he'd unnerved the brunette woman or picked up on the protective vibes emitting from the male Hyuuga, the Gate Keeper let the subject of shapechanging Tenten drop.

"As the essence must be manipulated in a way which the essence itself allows, I doubt any magic could part Skwall and his vessel," he went on.

"Well, I suppose it's still something to think about," Naruto remarked hopefully.

A snort from Sasuke's direction told everyone what he thought of that. Something hardened in the Gate Keeper's eyes, and Sakura was grateful Sasuke didn't follow up with any of his usual sarcastic remarks.

Naruto, of course, took offense at the snort alone, and within moments he and Sasuke were tossing insults at each other. At times, Sakura could swear her two teammates just decided they wanted to fight – verbally or physically – and then simply looked for an excuse. She considered trying to break them up, but swiftly decided she couldn't be bothered; more often than not, it was just an exercise in futility.

"Sometimes I wonder how I keep my sanity with these two," she told Hinata in an undertone. "Nothing but bicker, bicker, bicker."

"I can't imagine being in a team where my two teammates fought all the time," Hinata said honestly.

"Yeah, if I didn't love them so much, I'd have strangled them long ago," Sakura laughed, a hint of affection lurking behind her exasperation.

Their attention on Naruto and Sasuke, no one noticed as the Gate Keeper slipped away into the forest, a hint of satisfaction lingering in his eyes as he watched the half-Faerie girl smile fondly at her arguing friends.

-xxx-

"What are they looking at?" Sasuke asked, staring into the forest.

That had been the tenth time he'd caught a Faerie staring at their little group, and he'd only been awake for half an hour. Of those ten individuals, eight of them had been male Faerie.

"Surely the novelty's worn off by now," he continued grumpily.

"Ah, cheer up, Sasuke," Sakura advised, giving him one of those bright, beaming smiles that made something ache in his chest. "They're not looking at you."

"Then who are they looking at?"

"Probably Tenten."

"_What?_" Tenten choked out, spinning around from where she had been sharpening her kunais. "You're saying they're looking at_me_?"

Sakura tried not to laugh at the way Neji obviously bristled.

"Why?" Tenten went on. "Why would they want to..."

"You're human," Sakura shrugged. "Hinata and Neji have Faerie eyes, Naruto has the Kyuubi's ancient power in his aura, Sasuke has Skwall's, and I'm half-Faerie myself, but you...you're all human. To them, you probably look very exotic."

The half-nymph allowed herself a soft chuckle. "Probably pretty attractive, too."

Tenten was staring at the medic like she'd lost her mind.

"Where's the idiot and his girlfriend?" Sasuke asked suddenly. Both Naruto and Hinata had been nowhere to be found when he woke, and now that half an hour had passed with no sign from them...

"They wandered off towards the forest before you woke up, giving each other very mushy looks," Tenten answered, seeming to recover from her shock. "I don't know what they're doing, and something tells me I don't want to know. They'll come back when they're ready."

"Hn." Sasuke began to make his way towards the forest.

"Hey, Sasuke, what are you doing?" Sakura half-yelled, scrambling after him. "Most of the Faerie aren't fond of you, remember? And with your anti-social tendencies you'll just convince them we really are a bunch of-"

Tenten watched the two out of sight, smirking a little. She couldn't help but notice that, just for a moment, Sasuke had deliberately slackened his pace to allow Sakura to catch up to him. "Cute."

Neji snorted. "Hardly."

"I think it's kind of cute," Tenten shrugged. "I mean, Sasuke's a jerk to pretty much everyone – and that's describing him kindly – except her. Naruto, too, but to a lesser extent; he's never as nice to anyone as he is to Sakura."

Movement from across the lake made her spin around. A warg – a male, to be exact – was moving past the lake shore with a small pack of wolves. As Tenten watched, he glanced towards them, and gave her a smile.

Tenten suddenly wished Sakura hadn't given her a possible explanation for the Faerie's behaviour. Because while she knew, logically, that the warg probably didn't mean anything by it, she still felt herself growing a little uncomfortable. It seemed rather ridiculous; the warg looked rather young – he was probably just a friend of Salena's and thus, one of their sympathizers, and probably hadn't meant anything but honest support by it.

But the truth was, Tenten was rather unaccustomed to such attention. She'd always been so focused on her weapons and her training, she'd been considered 'one of the boys' since she was thirteen. She wasn't used to having men think of her as attractive.

"Are you alright?" Neji asked quietly. "You look...shaken."

"I wish Sakura hadn't said what she did," Tenten confessed. "Now all this attention is going to make me really uncomfortable."

"Why?" Neji blinked.

"Because she insinuated that a lot of the male Faerie think I'm attractive – it's not like I'm used to that," Tenten said honestly. "I've never really thought of myself as particularly desirable; at least, not next to women like Hinata and Sakura. After all, I'm just...me."

Neji privately thought that 'just Tenten' was a very great deal, but didn't say anything.

She shrugged again. "It'll just take some getting used to, that's all."

Tenten sighed, and stared out over the lake, at the green rolling hills with the dark, thick forest hovering in the periphery of her vision. Sometimes, she wondered about the human realm – it seemed so much dimmer than this world...maybe the human realm was simply a reflection of the Otherworld and the Elseworld combined somehow?

Then she dismissed her thoughts and bent to sharpening her weapons once more. She could feel Neji's eyes on her, but this was hardly an uncommon occurrence – in fact, it had been growing more and more frequent as of late – so Tenten didn't think anything of it.

And she never once wondered why his regard didn't make her feel uncomfortable in the slightest.

-xxx-

"So," Sakura began. "Do you actually want to find Naruto, or did you just wander off to brood?"

Sasuke glared up at her, though Sakura noticed it was less severe than usual. Or maybe it was the advantage of her height.

In the interest of practicing her newly-regained powers, Sakura was strolling along some low branches while she talked to Sasuke. There was little difference between this and the chakra exercise they'd performed under Kakashi's instructions all those years ago, except that Sakura didn't leap from branch to branch; she simply compelled the branches to bend towards each other and form a bridge between the trees.

"Because if you really are going to find Naruto, count me out," she continued. "Something tells me I'll be happier if I don't know what he and Hinata wandered into the forest to do."

Sasuke frowned. "They'd really...?"

Sakura snickered. "Come on, Sasuke – they're two healthy twenty year olds who are madly in love and haven't had one minute to themselves in days."

"I don't see why he doesn't just marry her already," Sasuke muttered, tossing out one of his more frequent comments in regards to the couple.

He was expecting Sakura to laugh it off, as she always had, but this time she came to a stop on the end of a branch, and there was a strange light in her eye.

"Want to know a secret?" she asked, her voice conspiratorially low.

Sasuke merely raised his eyebrows, but Sakura thought she caught a hint of interest in his usual deadpan expression.

Sakura grinned and tipped backwards until she was upside-down on the branch, the soles of her feet attached to the tree with chakra. With a swift mental command, she directed the branch to bend until she was at the perfect height to whisper in Sasuke's ear.

It was rather distracting, being so close to him in such casual circumstances, but at least he'd think any redness in her cheeks was due to the excess bloodflow her head was receiving because she was upside-down.

For his part, Sasuke was trying to quiet the voice in his mind that was urging him to turn his head just a little to the side...

"Naruto's going to ask Hinata to marry him when we get back," Sakura barely breathed into Sasuke's ear.

She didn't feel guilty about telling him this – Naruto was an open person by nature, and he would have wanted Sasuke to know. Just as long as Hinata didn't find out before it was time...

"But don't tell anyone!" she hissed. "No one else can know!"

With that, she twisted on herself until she could grab the branch her feet were attached to with her hands (that same treacherous part of Sasuke's brain eagerly noted her flexibility), released her feet from the bark and let herself drop neatly to the ground.

"So, are you going to find Naruto?" Sakura repeated.

Sasuke considered. "No."

"Thought so."

-xxx-

As the sun was just cresting the horizon, the moon only a day or so away from being full, Sakura wandered away from the camp again; but this time, she did so alone.

She circled the small lake until she reached the shore opposite their campsite, and then knelt in the dew-wet grass and began to practice using her Faerie abilities.

She did this quite frequently; now that her powers had been restored – and to new heights, at that – she tried to accustom herself to its use again. Not so much the techniques themselves, though; she was really practicing dropping whatever mental curtain held her powers in check. She wasn't really practicing her powers – she was practicing letting her powers out.

Because those abilities, those powers...they scared her.

It was stupid, really – who ever heard of someone being scared of their power? Maybe Naruto, with the Kyuubi chakra and his fear of letting the demon itself loose...but that was a different story. The Kyuubi was a separate entity; something that was _put_ in him. But these powers were inherent to Sakura's being – she had been born like this, hadn't she? And it wasn't like this had happened the last time, when her seal began to wear off...

So why did using them now make something deep within her flinch away?

Sakura concentrated, opening herself to her strange 'land sense', and letting it fill her awareness. While her normal 'practice sessions' only consisted of exploring her abilities in regards to plants and animals, she had a different plan for this one.

She'd already seen that her awareness of animals and plants also seemed to come with the ability to affect them in some ways; making plants grow, animals being strangely tolerant of her and the like...

And she'd wondered...what if her awareness of the land itself came with some form of power over it?

Sakura knew it was very unlikely – she didn't want to think about the kind of magical power needed to alter the land itself – but she knew it was a question that would rattle around in her head until she tried it and got an answer.

She'd decided she would try to do something with the water in the lake first – something told her that liquid would be easier to affect than earth or stone.

Sakura closed her eyes (it helped her to concentrate), and pictured the lake in front of her; a still, glassy surface only disturbed by the occasional ripple of a breeze or the flicker of a fish below the surface.

Then she pictured the middle of the lake rising into a spout, arcing up into the air and then falling back to the lake's surface like a decorative fountain.

_'Do this,'_ she urged silently. _'Be like this...'_

The sound of rushing water prompted her to open her eyes.

In the middle of the lake, a small mass of white, swirling water rose about two feet or so into the air, like a small section of the lake was boiling.

"Wow," Sakura whispered. She knew there were jutsus that could this, but she'd never in her life seen a Faerie do anything like it.

And she knew she wasn't using a jutsu.

It wasn't the jet she'd tried for, but she figured practice made perfect.

From the tree line, the Faerie Lord watched the half-nymph bend the laws of nature, a smile hovering on the young woman's face.

And Cohen found himself at a loss to explain what he was seeing. Her power wasn't like that of the nymphs, who were one with the trees or rivers. It wasn't like that of the centaurs or wargs, who connected themselves with the animals. It wasn't even like his power; his ability to fit himself into the pattern of the land.

Sakura didn't fit herself to anything; the land fit itself to her. When Sakura commanded, the very laws of nature twisted themselves about to obey.

And for all her power, Sakura had no real idea how extraordinary she was. Oh, she knew she was different, but Cohen thought that when he'd been baffled by her ability to run without shoes for miles without injuring her feet...that was the first true inkling she'd had that her powers were unusually strong. Before then, she'd always assumed other Faerie could do what she could, simply because she'd had no one to tell her differently.

She never knew how powerful she was, because she'd had no one to compare herself to.

She discovered her powers bit by bit, and was always surprised by what she could do, because no one had ever really taught her to use them. No one had stood beside her and told her what she could and could not do, so she had to learn such things for herself. Mikiko had tried to teach her, but had found she couldn't – there were too many things her daughter did that were simply beyond her reach.

All throughout her life, Sakura had taught herself, walking the razor edge of the delicate balance between human and Faerie with none to guide her.

But who could have done so, anyway? There had never been a half-human, half-Faerie before her birth – the forbidding whispers of the monsters that would result from the blending of such different powers and abilities enough to deter any of those rare Faerie who fell in love with humans from producing a child.

And if this was what the union of magic and chakra wrought, then perhaps they had been right to fear. If Sakura had been cruel, or vindictive, or just a little less moralistic, what would she have done with such power at her fingertips?

But something about that struck him as wrong, somehow. Sakura was extraordinarily powerful, yes...but something told him such abilities couldn't be solely explained by her heritage. At first, he thought it was just reluctance to believe such power could have come from the circumstances of her birth alone, and dismissed the thought.

But his mind kept coming back to it. Kept cycling back to the idea that Sakura's powers were not just the result of her unique bloodline, but that there was another factor entirely, one he'd either overlooked or been unable to see.

But what?

Though he tried to stop himself, he found his mind wandering to the dream that had haunted his sleep for the past several nights. Cohen was prophetic, yes, but it usually came in feelings and impressions; half-formed impulses that he'd learned to trust.

But they rarely coalesced into something as solid as a dream. For a moment, Cohen closed his eyes and allowed himself to remember...

_He was standing in the Deepest Well, in front of the tree the grew from the altar. A woman – a nymph, or so she appeared – was standing in front of him, her back to him, clad in a diaphanous white gown that dipped low in the back, her soft pink hair falling over her shoulders like a cascade of rose petals, reaching almost to her waist._

"_Treesinger?" he asked uncertainly. _

_No response. The woman didn't even twitch. _

"_Petalspring?" he tried again, naming another of the female sakura nymphs._

_Again, no response. _

"_Who are you?" Cohen asked, deciding to be blunt._

_Slowly, the woman half-turned so the profile of her face was in view._

"_Sakura?" the Faerie Lord gasped. _

_At first, he thought he must have been mistaken. But those features were unmistakable – he was staring at Treesinger's daughter._

_But why did she have such long hair? And her back – it was completely unmarked, free of any design or seal..._

_And her eyes! They were still green, yes, but though they were gazing at Cohen he did not see himself reflected in those eyes. Instead, he saw rivers and mountains, forests and plains, a thousand landscapes staring back at him through the jade irises, as though Sakura's eyes were a window to an entire world._

"_What are you?" he found himself asking._

_Sakura smiled. "A plan."_

_And then she dissolved in a whirl of white light._

-xxx-

The sound of the 'village attack' siren was becoming a disturbingly familiar sound lately. Ino had been in the flower shop when it began to blare, and the blonde wasted no time in abandoning her watering can and lunging for her ninja gear (which, due to the Daemon attacks, every shinobi now kept within reach at all times).

That was when something that looked that black flames – black, disturbingly familiar flames – demolished half the store.

And Ino was left staring straight into the teeth of a dragon.

Dimly, her mind noted that the sky overhead was dark with flying shapes – the draconian force Itachi sent this time far outnumbered those he spent on the previous attack on the hospital – but the full force of her concentration went to the huge, scaled head that snaked away from her and back into the sky.

One scaly foreleg, tipped with claws that could cut steel to ribbons, shot towards her.

Even as Ino hurled herself sideways, she knew she'd never make it. The back wall of the store – the only part of her family's shop that was still standing – pinned her in, and she could never hope to outrace the wicked scythes that were rushing towards her with enough to speed to make the air scream.

And then Hatchling dropped from the sky like an avenging angel.

With a roar that practically split Ino's eardrums, her dragon landed on top of the Daemon attacking her, jaws clamping around its neck like a vice.

In that split second of shock, some part of Ino's mind couldn't help noting that Hatchling seemed twice the size of the other dragon.

Hatchling's teeth couldn't pierce the other dragon's tough scales, but she didn't need them to. She simply used her greater size and weight to bear the other dragon to the ground beneath her, and then she began to jerk her head up and down, battering the other dragon's head against the stone, its neck snapping back and forth as it screeched and struggled...

Until there was an echoing crack, and the dragon's struggles ceased. It hung limply from Hatchling's jaw, the head at a sharp right angle to the neck. Hatchling dropped the broken-necked Daemon with a soft screech, as though of triumph.

Before Ino could move, two enormous forelegs planted themselves of either side of her. With her head titled to the sky and her wings spread wide, Hatchling bellowed up at the other dragons like a proud, lone warrior. It was a defiance, a challenge, a declaration that Hatchling was prepared to kill to defend her surrogate mother.

"Good girl," Ino whispered, raising her arm to pat her dragon's sternum. "Hatchling..."

Ino paused for a moment, worry clouding her mind. This would be the first time Hatchling fought in a real battle – what if she couldn't do it? And there were such steep odds, too...

But then the blonde glanced at the dead dragon behind her; the dragon that had been barely half of Hatchling's size, the dragon that she'd killed within seconds...

"Hatchling..." Ino pointed her arm to the spiraling dragons above them. "_Lilacs!_"

It sounded rather silly, but it certainly produced results. At the sound of her attack command, Hatchling responded just as she'd been trained to. Her legs coiled beneath her and she hurled herself into the air, roaring a battle-cry.

Ino grinned as she watched her dragon unleash her black breath for the first time.

-xxx-

As he walked through the streets, noting the damage to both buildings and people, Shikamaru concluded that the battle had gone much better than expected, due in no small part to Ino's dragon.

Hatchling had proved invaluable in combating the dragons. Her first and most obvious advantage was her size; she was simply too big and heavy to be mobbed easily. While she could keep herself aloft with two of the dragons on top of her, she only had to lock onto the back of one of the Daemons to drag it down to a very ugly, messy death against the cobblestones of Konoha. At first, he had thought her size might also make her slower, but she seemed quicker than any of the other dragons. It had puzzled Shikamaru, until he realised Hatchling was probably used to flying with a bridle, saddle, and Ino along for the ride. Deprived of these weights, she wove through the air like a falcon.

Another advantage had been the dragon's numbers. While at first glance, this would seem something to work against her, Shikamaru had seen the battle in action; when Hatchling used her black breath, she was practically guaranteed of hitting an enemy, but when her opponents used theirs, they'd almost always ended up hitting each other when Hatchling dodged.

When Shikamaru turned a corner and came upon a dragon in the middle of the street, his first thought was that they'd overlooked one of the Daemons. Then his mind registered the dragon's size, and the fact that Ino was attached the dragon's face like a limpet, lying against the bridge of the nose while her arms were wrapped around the scaly cheeks.

"Good girl," she was cooing softly, stroking her hands up and down Hatchling's face as the dragon crooned in contentment.

"Chouji told you she was getting big," he commented when he drew closer.

"Yeah, yeah," Ino released Hatchling and turned to him. "They measured her, you know? At first, we thought she was so big compared to the other dragons because they were smaller than the ones involved in the first attack, but when they measured them, they found they were still about twenty feet long. So we measured Hatchling."

"What was the verdict?"

"Hatchling is thirty-eight feet and three inches long," Ino proclaimed proudly. "Nearly double the usual dragon size. Well, except for Stormseeker."

"I wonder why..." Shikamaru mused, his mind already at work, trying to puzzle out why Hatchling was so large.

"I have a theory," Ino confided. "I was wondering that, too, until I remembered what Sakura said when she told me why Hatchling didn't need to eat. You remember the part about Daemons drawing on destructive energy?"

Shikamaru nodded. "But we can't have more destructive energy here than Elseworld does."

"True enough, but then I started thinking about what Elseworld was like." Ino shivered slightly, remembering the wasteland Skwall's world was. "When Sakura told me about the Daemons, my first thought was how any creature could live in a place like that. And that's when it occurred to me-"

Ino broke off as Hatchling nudged her in the back, displeased at being ignored. The blonde reached back to scratch the dragon's chin without turning around.

"It probably doesn't do any creature good to constantly be in the presence of the god of destruction," Ino went on. "They may feed on the energy, but it's still destructive energy, right? So I think that's why Hatchling's bigger, stronger, and faster than the other dragons, because she's been raised here, where she can feed on destructive energy without being overexposed to it."

Shikamaru had to admit it made a lot of sense. "If we follow that line of thinking, it also explains why Skwall wants to take over our realm before he goes for the Otherworld. If he takes over this realm, and his Daemons are raised in this realm, his creatures will be stronger and he'll be more likely to win a war with the Faerie."

"Probably," Ino nodded. "We should tell Sakura that when she gets back."

"Do you think she'll really bring a Faerie army?" Shikamaru said. "After all, she's been gone for over a week."

"She'll bring them," Ino said confidently, not a single trace of doubt in her voice. "You'll see."

-xxx-

"Do we really have to wear this?" Tenten asked, plucking at the light, gossamer-like material of the white gown she was clad in. It was rather similar to the gown Mikiko wore, and while it probably flattered her figure, Tenten didn't feel comfortable in any clothing she couldn't fight in.

"At least yours is decent," Sakura muttered, fighting the urge to haul the low back of her gown up higher. "This thing is so low you can see my seal."

"I think that was the point," Tenten said. "Maybe your Mum and the Faerie Lord expect the seal to do something."

"Like what? Jump off my body and do the hula?"

"Your seal faded a little after Itachi attacked you," Hinata commented. "Maybe this ritual will make it fade even more?"

"Maybe." Sakura shrugged noncommittally, reaching for the small pile of bands Mikiko had delivered along with the gowns. As the Binding was very ritualistic, they had to be dressed accordingly. The white gowns were simply female Faerie grab, but the bands were symbolical; one band of rich, dark wood on their left wrist to represent the earth, another of strange, shimmering blue stone that threw silver reflections on their right wrist, representing the water.

"You think the guys have to wear this, too?" Tenten mused, tugging at her neckline.

"Maybe not these things," Sakura said, plucking at her own clothing. But then she chuckled. "Or maybe they _will_ have to wear gowns. If so, I'm going to be very sorry I didn't think to bring a camera on this trip."

The three women had wandered a short way into the forest to get changed, leaving the men by the lake.

"D-do you think they'll provide us with shoes?" Hinata asked, a slight hint of her old stutter leaking into her voice, betraying how anxious she was about the Binding.

Glancing at her companions, Sakura had to admit they looked a little mismatched with ninja boots peeking from beneath the pale, diaphanous gown.

"I don't know," she said honestly.

Sakura glanced down at her own feet, marveling at how it now seemed normal for her to be going without shoes. She wiggled her toes on the leaf-covered grass for a moment, just because she could.

"Well, we can deal with it later," Tenten shrugged, moving out of the clearing they had dressed in, her ninja clothes folded neatly in her arms. "Shall we see how the boys are doing?"

When they reached the edge of the forest – but still with enough trees between them and the lake to block their view of their teammates – Sakura tilted her head back, cupped her hands around her mouth, and screamed, "_YOU GUYS DONE?_"

"_WE'RE DRESSED FOR THE RITUAL-THINGY, SAKURA!_" came a bellowing voice that could only be Naruto – no one else could manage such long sentences at that volume.

"Come on," Sakura said, trotting the last few feet to the edge of the forest, Tenten and Hinata following her.

_'Oooh...nice,'_ was the first thought in Tenten's head when they saw their teammates.

The men wore the same bands on their wrist as the women did, but they were clad in white hip-wraps that reached their knees. Which, consequently, meant that their chests were bare.

_'Nice...'_ the voice in Tenten's head repeated as she tried not to stare at Neji's chest.

"Wow, Hinata..." Naruto grinned, then elbowed Sasuke. "Hey, bet you're jealous, huh, jerk? The hottest woman here is my girlfriend!"

As though suddenly realising Sakura and Tenten might take offense, he hastily added, "Not that you two aren't pretty, too, it's just...ah...you see..."

"Calm down, Naruto, we know what you meant," Tenten grinned, trying not to laugh at the way Sasuke's eyes were riveted to Sakura's face. Normally, people's eyes naturally drifted around, changing focus and orientation slightly, even when they were concentrating on something. Sasuke was staring with the locked gaze of one who was desperately resisting the temptation to let his eyes wander.

"What is it with Faerie and showing skin?" Sakura wondered, glancing at Naruto and Neji and studiously keeping her eyes away from Sasuke.

"I would have thought you'd be the one to know that," Tenten commented.

"I may have been born to a Faerie, but I've never actually lived with them before," Sakura defended. "I think I've learned more about them in this week than I have in twenty years of having Mum around."

The medic was very proud of herself for not laughing at the way both Neji and Tenten were so clearly captivated by each other. Naruto and Hinata (the two in the established relationship) were making no effort to hide what they thought of their lover's clothes – their embrace was fast becoming rather passionate.

"Hey, hey, take it easy!" Tenten said, tapping them each on the shoulder. "We have things to do!"

Hinata blushed the deep crimson of red wine, but Naruto grinned, unrepentant, and slung his arm across his girlfriend's shoulders as they made their way to the Faerie Court.

-xxx-

The full moon hung overhead, its light so intense Sakura felt as though the clearing were lit by lanterns. She wondered vaguely if she'd ever seen the moon so bright before...but then again, this was the Otherworld; where everything was always...more.

They stood in the circle of standing stones, their backs to the assembled Faerie, while the Faerie Lord gave some speeches and did some chanting. Cohen smeared a thick, red liquid in short lines across their foreheads, down the bridge of their noses, and diagonally across their cheeks. Sakura tried not to let the fact that it was the blood of the Gate Keeper creep her out.

"This is really what binds you to the Faerie," he admitted in a low voice, unheard by the watching masses. "Everything else is just for show."

Then he closed his eyes, breathed once, deeply...and changed.

There was no physical transformation or anything quite so obvious. But it seemed as though he were reaching deep inside himself for something. The air began to hum and quiver as it was saturated with magic.

Sakura swallowed a little. The Gate Keeper had told her that Cohen didn't make the names up himself – it was more like he connected himself to the land, and the magic drew the name from his mouth.

But it was one thing to be told it, and quite another to be standing mere feet from a Faerie who was making her very skin tingle with the power he was emitting.

Cohen's eyes opened, and they were shining with power and understanding. He stepped towards Naruto, and touched the blonde's forehead with the tips of his fingers.

"I name you Naruto..._Firedance!_" he proclaimed.

The blood on Naruto's face glowed like neon paint, and then seemed to melt into his skin. Naruto gasped, twitched as he felt Cohen's power thunder through him...and then it was done, and he felt no different than before. The Faerie Lord had been right – this ritual didn't really affect humans; it didn't harm them, but it didn't grant them any greater power or understanding, either.

Sakura couldn't help but think that Cohen had been right – Naruto's 'land name' did reflect who he was...in a way. Naruto was a man used to playing with fire, so to speak; every time he drew on the Kyuubi's chakra, he risked a part of himself. But he did it gladly, almost proudly, to protect Konoha and the people he loved. And no matter how grim or bleak a situation, Naruto always had hope.

Naruto danced through the fire.

"I name you Hinata..._Starbreath!_"

At first glance, that didn't seem to make much sense, until Sakura thought it out a little. 'Starbreath' sounded like something delicate and insubstantial, but the actual breath of stars would be huge bursts of fire in the depths of space. So in that way, Hinata's name reflected who she was; she seemed delicate and fragile at first glance, but scratch the surface and she was stronger than you could ever imagine.

"I name you Tenten..._Bladesinger!_"

Now that one made sense to Sakura. Beyond her choice of offensive specialty, Tenten had often given her the impression of being almost preternaturally aware of what condition her weapons were in, always knowing which ones needed sharpening, which ones were showing signs of rust or wear...logically, she knew such familiarity was probably a result of constant use rather any sort of psychic gift, but it was a little unsettling all the same, especially considering the sheer number of weapons Tenten owned.

Plus, Tenten's accuracy with those things was just scary.

"I name you Neji..._Steeleyes!_"

Another that hardly needed interpretation. The trademark Hyuuga eyes were very difficult to read without pupils – you could never been entirely sure where they were focusing – and Neji's were more difficult than most, given his ability to remain entirely stone-faced in the face of...well, everything.

Not only that, but Neji himself tended to put a wall between him and everyone else. Not surprising, given his experiences, but it made him seem even colder and more impenetrable...like a steel fortress, so to speak.

But those few people who managed to work their way inside that fortress, Neji protected almost fanatically.

"I name you Sasuke..._Nightbringer!_"

For a moment, Sakura couldn't see the connection, unless they counted Sasuke's dark hair and eyes. But then a part of her mind pointed out some of the connotations the idea of 'night' held; that of darkness, emptiness and loneliness. And when Sasuke had left the village, he'd brought that to her and Naruto, hadn't he?

But at the same time, the night didn't last forever. And Sasuke had come back. After several years, true...but he'd still come back.

And then there was no time for Sakura to think, because it was her turn.

She felt Cohen's fingertips on her forehead, and waited for him to speak.

"I name you, Sakura..._Daughter of the Land!_"

In that instant, everything seemed to shift. The trees shuddered, the very air quivered, and the earth beneath their feet pulsed like a living heart.

The blood on Sakura's face flared like a dying star, far brighter than it had for her companions, bright enough to burn. And instead of vanishing immediately, the lines writhed across her skin like snakes, twisting themselves into glowing, intricate marks that slid down the back of her neck, across her shoulderblades, pouring down like a river of light to wrap around the green mark imprinted on her skin...

And the seal on Sakura's back dissolved in a rush of light.


	15. Haevyn's Plan

**Chapter 15**

**Haevyn's Plan**

Sakura barely registered the 'land name' Cohen gave her. The instant the words left his mouth, she felt a jolt of power surge through her, as though she had been struck by lightning. But unlike lightning, it didn't strike and then disappear; it was though it stayed in her body, crackling and sparking and seething and boiling and swirling around inside her like a stormcloud, like a typhoon or a whirlpool, some great force of nature she couldn't contain, couldn't hold, so her only option was to let it out before it tore her body apart...

It spread from her like a ripple in a still pond. Sakura could practically feel the power inside her spread out over her friends, over the Faerie, and even beyond – she could feel it wrapping itself around the very fabric of the Otherworld, carpeting the entire realm.

But beyond that, something was intruding on her mind; as her power spread, it felt like another soul was trying to worm its way into her body. But this was nothing like Ino's technique, where another mind tried to push hers to the side and take over, or even like Itachi's forced domination. This was worse; as though this new soul were leaking into her being, entangling with her own soul like a strangler fig, merging indelibly, inextricably...

And with it came a cacophony of noises, of awareness, as Sakura suddenly found herself connected to everything and everyone, hearing everything, feeling everything...

She felt herself wobble as the ground seemed to tilt, her sense of the world blurring away in the onslaught. She lurched, almost falling, but then she was pulled into someone's arms, steadied against a firm, warm body.

When Sasuke saw Sakura falter, he reacted instantly, pulling her against him before she could collapse. The glowing marks were dissolving slowly on her back, but Sasuke's attention was on the hair that slid over his arms; it hadn't been any longer than shoulder-length before, but now it reached almost to her waist, as though that flash of light had caused it to magically extend.

Sakura's wide eyes swung upwards drunkenly, staring blankly at his face, and as Sasuke stared into her eyes, he realised there was something wrong. In the soft green of Sakura's eyes, he could see a hundred worlds, shifting and merging, some separating and dissolving as others rose to take their place. The frozen tundra where white hares ran from pale-coated foxes, the blazing desert where a snake sunned itself on a rock as a line of ants trooped by, the rich forest where deer grazed and birds fed on berry bushes, the open plains where wild horses ran...

Sasuke jerked his eyes away, breaking contact before the slowly shifting landscapes mesmerised him.

"**It's so loud,"** Sakura murmured.

At first, Sasuke didn't think it was really Sakura who'd spoken. Her voice was strange, almost inhuman, reverberating in every mote of air and in the marrow of his bones.

Tenten, looking on in astonishment, found it reminded her of Itachi's voice, except it inspired a feeling of being loved and protected instead of terror and horror. In that voice, she could hear the soft gurgle of rivers, the rustle of leaves, the song of birds, the gentle patter of the rain...in that voice, Tenten could hear the land itself speaking.

Sakura's hand fluttered around her ears, trying to block out the maelstrom of awareness descending on her. But because it wasn't exactly sound, or sight, or touch or taste or smell or anything so easy to pin down, there was no stopping it or the strange force invading her mind.

Then as Sakura felt the alien soul begin to bleed into her very essence, feeling parts of herself being erased as others were enhanced, she finally reacted. The very core of her being rejected it automatically, and she felt herself somehow fighting back as she struggled to retain herself. With a jolt like a sudden, dizzying slap, Sakura felt the presence in her retreat. Not leave her body, but retreat.

In that instant, the awareness became far too much for her, as though the invading essence had somehow dimmed it or allowed her to cope, and now that she was on her own, she was being overwhelmed.

Pain began to stab through her temples, as though her mind was fissuring apart beneath the attack as it seemed everything around her screamed for her attention. It was a sensory overload, and she wasn't really surprised when she felt her mind slowing and shutting down – after all, the body's way of dealing with such an overload was passing out.

And in the circumstances, Sakura was only too happy to sink into nothingness.

Sasuke tightened his grip as he felt Sakura going limp, her body sagging against him like a sack of wet grain. Among everyone's panicked shrieks and astonished cries, Sasuke lowered her quickly and gently to the ground, alarmed to realise how pale she was, and that her heart was beating so fast he could see the great veins in her neck fluttering like the wings of a frightened bird.

"What happened to her?" Mikiko asked, panic in her voice, bending down over Sakura's still form with Cohen beside her.

Sasuke had the sudden urge to grab Cohen by the neck and throttle him. He'd told them it wouldn't affect them! He'd told them the ritual wouldn't harm them!

Naruto seemed to realise how close Sasuke was to flying at the Faerie Lord, and as he knelt down beside Sakura he clamped his hand over the Uchiha's wrist to hold him in place.

"What happened to her?" Mikiko repeated, her hands hovering over her daughter as though longing to touch her but afraid the contact would hurt her somehow.

In the near-panic gripping both humans and Faerie, Neji was the only one who noticed the Gate Keeper appear at the edge of the standing stones and approach the small group.

"She is unhurt, Treesinger."

Everyone whirled around, and Sasuke's lip curled when he realised who had spoken.

"You told her it wouldn't hurt us!" he snarled, eyes beginning to bleed red. In his opinion, the Gate Keeper – who had talked for days with Sakura and never mentioned anything like this – was even more guilty than the Faerie Lord.

"I suspected you were listening to our conversations, Nightbringer," the Gate Keeper said lightly. "Didn't trust me not to harm Daughter of the Land?"

Sasuke had to think for a moment to realise who the Gate Keeper was addressing. In the debacle of Sakura's naming and collapse, he'd almost forgotten what Cohen had named him. He hadn't forgotten Sakura's name, but he doubted he'd ever forget a minute of that incident.

Naruto was calling Sakura's name, while Hinata was tapping her cheeks gently, trying to rouse her. When she didn't respond after several minutes, Tenten clenched her fist, determination entering her eyes.

"Neji, can you check her pulse?" she asked, preparing to grind her knuckles under Sakura's collarbone to see if she was responsive to pain.

"Hold, Bladesinger," the Gate Keeper ordered. "Do not rouse her. Daughter of the Land will awaken in her own time."

"She's not...she's not hurt?" Mikiko stammered, brushing a few locks of Sakura's mysteriously long hair from her daughter's face.

"She is not hurt," the Faerie stag assured her.

"We should take her back to our campsite," Hinata suggested. "Let her rest somewhere more comfortable."

Right," Naruto nodded, and moved as though to heft Sakura into his arms.

But Sasuke was quicker. "I've got her."

He slid his arms around Sakura's inert body, one around her shoulders and the other under her knees, lifting her easily and settling her against his chest. Her head listed backwards, and Sasuke moved to tilt it against his collarbone. The half-nymph flinched, made a small noise, and then snuggled against him, instinctively seeking warmth.

Sasuke didn't smile, but his face looked less grim as he strode off for their campsite.

If the situation hadn't been so serious, Naruto would have laughed.

-xxx-

When Sakura woke, she had a moment of pleasant fuzziness – the moment of amnesia before you remember what happened before you were rendered unconscious – before reality and memory impacted like a charging bull.

She sat bolt upright in the sleeping roll, the blanket tumbling to her lap as her hair flew over her shoulders. Some part of her mind dimly noted that it was much longer than she remembered, and that she couldn't have been out for long because it was still night, but her entire focus was on the figure of the white stag at the edge of the campsite, with her friends' exclamations and questions reduced to background noise for the moment.

She was staring at the Gate Keeper, the knowledge the invading essence had left in her mind buzzing inside her like a nest of wasps, agitating and painful.

Sakura finally knew what Haevyn's plan was.

_She could feel Skwall's presence in the human realm, altering the course of events like a dark hand on a ship's rudder. Gifting power, planting whispers of ambition in easily-swayed minds, tailoring the world to provide him with the ideal vessel._

_And the goddess knew she had to do some planning of her own._

_So she began to plant her own whispers, her own subtle, undetectable influence bleeding into the minds and hearts of certain ninjas, the dream of Konoha beginning to take shape in the minds of those who could make it happen._

_Konoha; a village that would practically be designed to raise courageous, self-sacrificing people..._

It was like it was written out in Sakura's brain, as though she were seeing it from some sort of omnipotent viewpoint. Which she knew she was; Haevyn had been without a vessel when this began, her essence contained in the white peach on the tree in the Deepest Well.

Sakura now knew, as though she had always known, that Haevyn and Skwall were practically omnipresent when their essence was concentrated on the tree. While their essence was contained, they had no true physical shell, and so were free to extend their influence across all the worlds, though the lack of a true vessel meant that their power was greatly limited (and it was ill-advised to meddle in their enemies world). That was the true reason why gods desired vessels; to concentrate themselves so completely in one physical shell meant that their powers were truly god-like, though in doing so, they lost their omnipresence.

_Years rolled by like minutes to the goddess, and she watched her own domain carefully, searching the nymphs, the unicorns...any and all of her creatures for what she needed._

_And she found it in Mikiko Treesinger. A nymph of great power, yes, but more importantly, of great compassion, and an enormous capacity for love. _

_Haevyn decided she would do nicely. A child born to her would be powerful. A child raised by her would be gentle, kind and loving._

_Then she turned her attention to the human world. Searching the hearts and souls of the males born in Konoha, until she saw a spark of potential in the Haruno clan. A boy who was already demonstrating unusual skills in chakra manipulation, who already longed to be a ninja, to defend and protect the village that raised him._

_A child born to him would be powerful. A child raised by him would be brave, moralistic and willing to die for those they loved._

_So Haevyn exerted her influence once more, making sure Mikiko was close to and much trusted by the Faerie Lord. Trusted enough so that he would respect her decisions...particularly those she made out of love. _

_She made sure Haruno Sotaro was raised to be the kind of man who would risk everything for what he loved, and who would defend those he loved to his very death. Haevyn influenced the fertility of his aunts and uncles, gave him young cousins, instilled a love of children within him..._

Sakura barely blinked as everything played itself out in her head, and she could only gape at the depth and precision of the goddess' manipulation.

_And then her boldest move of all; gifting Stormseeker with his power and intelligence. In doing so, she risked revealing her hand to Skwall, she risked her own plan being uncovered and foiled..._

_But Skwall had his own plan to worry about, and seemed to accept Stormseeker's unusual gifts as simple genetic variation. And Stormseeker's rise and subsequent fall were vital to her plan. _

_For it was the battle with Stormseeker that ensured Mikiko and Sotaro would meet._

_And when they met, they slid together like two halves of a whole, two pieces of a puzzle...a perfect fit, a perfect match. The way they were meant to...the way they had been designed to._

_When they made plans to marry, Sotaro told his family exactly what Mikiko was for the first time. And here was the first large obstacle in Haevyn's plan; the Haruno clan worried about Sotaro marrying a Faerie, worried that he might have been seduced by magic or spells, or that the Faerie's goal might be to persuade him to betray Konoha. _

_They were going to inform the Hokage of what Mikiko was, a move that could result in her being cast from the village._

_So Haevyn made another bold move. She directed her proxy, the Gate Keeper, to speak to the Haruno clan._

_And speak he did. The Gate Keeper stepped into the middle of a clan meeting (a meeting without Sotaro, as he was the one being discussed) and warned them not to interfere with Sotaro and Mikiko, lest they bring the wrath of the entire Faerie down upon their heads. They were told that forces greater than they could understand were at work, and Sotaro was necessary to such work._

_'And that's why they hate me,'_ Sakura realised in a moment of blinding, painful clarity. _'Because they knew Dad was being used. They hated him for being weak enough to allow himself to be manipulated, and they hated Mum even more for being the one to do it, but they hated me the most of all, because I was the result of it; because I represented what he had been used for.'_

She felt the sudden sting of tears in her eyes as she thought of all her extended family had done to her. '_But the one thing they never realised was that Mum and I were used just as much as Dad was. None of us were the manipulator...we were all manipulated ourselves.'_

And that, Sakura understood, was the sad truth of it.

_So Mikiko and Sotaro married, but Mikiko – who had been raised on horror stories of the monsters that would result from the mingling of human and Faerie blood – did so on the condition that they would never have children. Sotaro – who had always wanted a family of his own – didn't see why or how such a child could be so terrible, but his love for his wife made him agree._

_And Haevyn went to work once again, influencing their lives and their perception of it so that it seemed almost perfect, trying to ensure they became caught up in the simple bliss of their household and forgot to take the necessary precautions to ensure no child was conceived._

_It was three years before Mikiko fell pregnant, and even then, the goddess' struggles were not over. Over the three – nearly four – centuries of her life, Mikiko had been told what sort of monster a human and a Faerie would breed together. Told in horror stories, for in the Faerie equivalent of human ghost stories, the monsters were always half-breeds._

_Mikiko had told Sotaro she was pregnant, and in the same breath informed him that she was getting an abortion._

_He hadn't been happy – in Sotaro's most secret heart, he had longed for children with Mikiko – but he promised to stand by her, and prayed his love for her was stronger than his desire for a family of his own._

_And Haevyn stretched out her hand, and touched Mikiko's dreams that night, filling them with love and laughter, and a tiny pink-haired girl blowing out candles on a birthday cake._

_The next day, Mikiko was still seeking an appointment in the clinic, but her resolve had wavered some, her own longing for a child beginning to ignite in her heart._

_As the days until Mikiko's abortion crept by, Haevyn continued to send her dreams, and while her determination bled away little by little, it wasn't fast enough. So the night before her appointment, the goddess sent Mikiko her clearest dream yet, so clear and so present it probably seemed more vision than dream._

_In her dream, Mikiko had seen a girl with pink hair, about four years old, lying on her belly on their living room rug, scrawling on sheets of spare paper with crayons. Mikiko had heard the door open and Sotaro's voice calling out, prompting the girl to drop her crayons and run into his arms, giggling as her father picked her up and swung her around._

_And Haevyn made sure the girl's voice rang in Mikiko's head. "Mummy, Daddy's home!"_

_When Mikiko woke from that dream, she had glanced at Sotaro sleeping beside her, remembered how much he had longed for a child...and in that moment, the nymph realised that she wanted their child as well, more than anything else._

_She canceled her appointment, told Sotaro of her new decision, and together they prepared for their child's birth._

_And eight months later, when Haruno Sakura drew breath into her lungs for the first time in Konoha's hospital, Haevyn felt nothing but triumph. This tiny baby, no bigger than a loaf of bread, wailing in the cool air of the hospital room, was the end result of centuries of planning – the point and purpose of Haevyn's plot, the vessel that she would one day inhabit and that would do battle against Skwall._

_The goddess watched the nurse hand the newly-named Sakura to her mother for feeding, feeling Mikiko's love, and her astonishment and shame that she could have ever said she didn't want her daughter. She felt Sotaro's pride in his wife, his wonder at what they had made together, and his own love for the tiny half-human, half-Faerie he called his daughter._

_Haevyn's vessel had finally been born. _

What truly amazed Sakura was the fact that Haevyn hadn't felt guilty in the slightest. Her birth, her life, everything that she was had been manipulated and tailored to fit the goddess' plan, and Haevyn felt no guilt, just pride; as if she'd just bred a show-winning dog.

But Sakura supposed that's what it was. A kind god was still a god, still as far above mortal beings as humans were from dogs. Haevyn might be fond of them, but she would use them for her own purposes without the slightest twinge of guilt.

For it wasn't just her life Haevyn had manipulated. Almost all the clans in Konoha had birthed a child at about the same time she was born – the Hyuugas had two. Everyone had thought it was just amazing luck for so many births to coincide, especially that so many of the children should have such extraordinary gifts, but Sakura now knew it was no coincidence. Sasuke, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Neji, Hinata, Shino, Kiba...their births had been a deliberate move on Haevyn's part, to populate the village with as many gifted children as possible.

And it wasn't simply restricted to those with bloodline abilities and family jutsus. The birth of the boy who became the Kyuubi vessel, a man who couldn't manipulate chakra but who would eventually be capable of defeating wraiths, a woman who could make storms of metal and blades rise on her command...all engineered, their births all premeditated. All designed to provide her with powerful, extraordinary allies in her fight against Skwall.

Sakura saw her own growth through Haevyn's eyes, saw her overtures to her extended family being met with scorn, saw such encounters teaching her persistence and determination, as well as building her tolerance of the pain she could take from people she loved without dimming her love for them. From the view of an onlooker, Sakura could see it was also teaching her a valuable lesson; that pain was as much a part of love as happiness and contentment were.

She watched, as though seeing a movie, her own younger self picking worms from the footpath after it rained and putting them back in the dirt, felt Haevyn's rejoicing at the show of such compassion – compassion that could hardly be avoided when her younger self could feel the worm's distress and need to be back in the earth.

Since learning that Itachi had been the one who'd tried to kidnap her, Sakura had often wondered how she could have escaped him. She knew she'd blasted him with raw, previously untapped power, and it had made him let her go...but why hadn't he pursued her?

Now, she knew that he had, but since her eight-year-old self had cut through the park, there had been no way he could catch her. Bushes that parted for her lashed back to snarl his feet. Tree branches that she brushed aside easily snapped back in his face like arrows shot from a bow. Wandering cats descended from the treetops to scratch at his face. Dogs that hadn't moved from their beds in years leapt fences to sink their teeth into his legs. As he pursued her, plant and animal had risen to stop him, and she was home and safe and being comforted by Sotaro before Itachi had even made it out of the park.

And then came the day Mikiko had decided to seal her.

_Skwall had made his move, and Haevyn could feel the Otherworld shaking itself apart. As Elseworld was held in check by her power, so the Otherworld was held in check by Skwall's power. And the sudden absence of the essence, the sudden concentration of it into a single physical body...meant that the Otherworld was suffering for it._

_So Haevyn extended her power once more. It was easy to influence the mind of a curious child – a little frightened by the fact that she couldn't see her mother as the ground bucked like a wild horse – easy to persuade her that the white stag was good, would take her to safety..._

_And Sakura followed the Gate Keeper into the Deepest Well, where it was quiet and still. Skwall's vessel had already devoured the black peach, and the white fruit sat alone on the green and growing side of the tree. As the young half-Faerie approached the tree, her eyes lighting with wonder, it bent double like a contortionist, bringing the white peach high up on the branches within easy reach of her hand._

_Eight year old Sakura plucked it from the branch, turning the fruit over in her hands as chubby fingers prodded at it curiously. She sniffed at it, grinned as she obviously identified the odour as 'food', and then sank her small teeth into the fruit. _

_Haevyn felt her essence leeching into the girl's body, but she didn't fight it, didn't manifest herself to bargain with the child. Sakura was too young to understand anything she might say to her, and now, it was only important that she acquire a vessel, not that the vessel knew what she harboured._

_Haevyn knew it would probably be safer for Sakura if she didn't know. Yes, much safer. When Mikiko sealed her daughter, Haevyn would allow herself to be locked away in the darkest reaches of Sakura's soul, never seeing the light of day until it became necessary – never coming out until Skwall rose._

_Besides, Skwall's vessel lived in Konoha, and if he ever thought that he had a rival in Sakura, she wouldn't live to see her ninth birthday._

_So Haevyn watched as Sakura ate the peach, devoured every last scrap of flesh and drop of juice (for the peach had no core or stone), and felt herself melt away. Her plan had come to fruition at last – finally, Haevyn was with her vessel._

Sakura understood why Haevyn hadn't made her presence known; as she surmised, if Itachi had ever thought her power might one day be a match to his...Sakura doubted she would have lived long. And while she might have possessed a goddess' essence inside her, Itachi'd had a god inside him, and he'd been a far more powerful ninja than she.

So Haevyn had been dormant, hidden within her, though the presence of the goddess naturally heightened her already sensitive awareness of the living creatures around her. For the first time, Sakura understood her dark, formless nightmares, as she realised that the sensation of icy darkness that sucked at her mind like a whirlpool was how her younger, more sensitive self had felt the Uchiha massacre. So many deaths – human deaths, no less – and so close by, had almost eroded her mind completely. She hadn't been able to shield herself, hadn't known how to dim the 'land sense' the way she could now, and so denial of what she had felt and the subsequent sublimation of her powers had been the only way her mind could cope. And Haevyn had been sublimated along with her powers, content to lie dormant until the time came.

And for all intents and purposes, that time was now.

"Are you alright?" Mikiko's voice finally broke into her reverie.

Sakura blinked, realising that, although her mental sojourn seemed to have taken hours, it had really only been a few seconds.

"I'm okay, Mum," she whispered, allowing the relieved nymph to draw her into a tight embrace. "I'm okay."

She glanced away from the Gate Keeper, looking instead at the faces arrayed around her, most looking worried and concerned.

"You gave us all quite a scare," Tenten scolded, noting that Sakura's voice had returned to its normal, human tone. "Collapsing like that."

"What happened?" Hinata asked quietly.

"I understood," Sakura said softly. And then, with more honesty than she suspected herself capable of, "I understood something I wish I hadn't."

Sasuke's face darkened, but it was Naruto who spoke, "What do you mean, Sakura?"

"I think I need to talk with our friend here for a little while," the half-naymph said, rising from the bed as her eyes fixed on the Gate Keeper.

"But-"

Sakura cut Naruto off, "I won't be long. I'll explain it later."

She felt a little guilty about being so curt, but at the same time, Sakura had just had life-altering information thrown in her face like yesterday's news, so she was feeling a little inconsiderate. She'd apologise for it later.

Ignoring her friends' and her mother's protests, Sakura strode to the edge of the camp site and disappeared into the woods, the Gate Keeper walking beside her.

For several long minutes, Sakura didn't say a word. Her mind was still trying to deal with the blow it had just been dealt, the blow that had tipped her entire world on its axis. She didn't even want to think about the way her whole life had been nothing but manipulation and planning – that was a mind-screw for another day. Her focus, for now at least, was on the fact that just as Itachi housed Skwall within his body, so she housed Haevyn.

And that, by itself, was a lot to absorb.

Her main reactions to the information seemed to be shock and fear. She'd known Itachi had to be defeated, but she'd honestly never thought she would have to be the one to do it. Even though she'd managed to injure him during both encounters, she'd always believed that someone among the Faerie would be the one to face him, not her.

Sakura knew – or at least, she'd thought she knew – who she was. And she knew (_thought_ she'd known) one thing; that she wasn't the hero. Oh, she was strong, she knew that, and one of the best healers Konoha had ever seen...but she wasn't the hero. She wasn't the kind of person who went down in stories or history books – she didn't want to be, for that matter; she didn't want that kind of responsibility.

She wasn't some noble, courageous person or tortured soul clinging to honour; that was Naruto and Sasuke's gig. They were the heroes, not her – that was the way her world had worked. They were always ahead of her, leaping to the top of the mountain while she climbed steadily behind them, perhaps always a little behind but working hard to stay even...and now she suddenly found herself catapulted forwards, not to the top of mountain but beyond it, shooting past them and into the sky like a runaway star.

Perhaps she should be glad, or proud, but at the moment, all Sakura could think was that she wasn't ready to be the one in front.

"I don't want this," she said, not really expecting the Gate Keeper to respond but needing to say the words. "I don't want to be a goddess."

"But you are, nevertheless," the Gate Keeper said, his voice gentle

"You were studying me," Sakura went on, looking at the forest around them rather than at the stag. "All those times you came to speak to us...you were studying me. I thought you were, but I could never figure out why."

The Gate Keeper bobbed his head in what was probably his equivalent of a nod. "I had to. I had to know your heart, Daughter of the Land. I knew that Haevyn had engineered your creation, I knew that you were necessary to her plans...but I had to see for myself what sort of person you really were."

"And?"

"And I am not disappointed," he replied cryptically.

Sakuira sat down on the carpet of leaves, feeling as though she were about to burst into tears, but not knowing why. They could fight Itachi now...so why did she feel so upset? "What happens now?"

"Now, you prepare to face Skwall."

There it was again – the feeling that she was going to cry. "Just like that? Oh, by the way, you're a goddess now, so go off to fight a destroyer god like a good girl? Why didn't-" as her throat tightened, Sakura realised she'd hit upon the crux of the matter, "Why didn't anyone ask me?"

That was why she was so upset. Perhaps she wouldn't have minded if she'd been offered this power; if the Gate Keeper had walked up to her when she and her friends first stepped into the Otherworld and told her she could take on Haevyn's essence and fight Skwall, she would have agreed in an instant.

But he hadn't asked her. No one had asked her. They'd just shoved the goddess into her without any consideration at all for what she felt. Even Skwall had allowed Itachi choice; he'd ensured he was power-hungry and ambitious, yes, but the actual contact had been done on Itachi's initiative...

But Sakura had been given no choice. No choice at all. The decision had been taken entirely out of her hands, and she'd been completely oblivious as others decided her fate.

That was why this was so frightening. The idea that this could have been happening around her all her life, happening _to_ her...and she'd never known. She'd never known that she was nothing but a weapon.

Ninjas were weapons; their jobs made them so. But it was one thing to know that your job made you a weapon, honed since academy days, and another to learn that your whole life's single purpose was to be a weapon, honed since before you were even conceived, the final weapon in a conflict started when the world was first born.

It was a lot to think about. Painful to contemplate, but it was the sort of knowledge that demanded to be examined and analyzed, like prodding a bruise just to see if it hurt. And maybe, if you prodded it hard enough and from enough angles, it would stop hurting; or at least, you'd become numb to the pain.

Maybe, if she thought about it enough, the idea would stop hurting, would stop making her throat constrict and her chest feel hot...or at least, she might become accustomed to the hurt enough so that it wouldn't sting so sharply.

So Sakura sat, and thought. She realised she was still clad in the white gown she'd donned for the ritual, but she didn't go back to the campsite to change. The Gate Keeper drifted away into the darkness, but she made no effort to call him back. Her legs began to grow numb, so she laid down on the soft grass and made herself more comfortable. The patches of stars that gleamed through the canopy began to fade as dawn approached, but by this time Sakura had fallen asleep, her mind and body too weary and aching from the shock dealt to them to remain conscious any longer.

And that was how Sasuke found her; asleep on the forest floor, the white gown dirtied and smeared with grass stains, and her now-longer hair tangled around her face.

He knew he should call out, should yell to the others that they could stop the search, that he'd found her...but he didn't. Sasuke crouched down beside her, brushing stray locks of hair from her face as carefully as he could, trying not to wake her. After what had just happened, he thought she deserved her rest.

Sasuke was a ninja, which meant he was accustomed to putting pieces of vague information together to make a coherent picture. And right now, he had a pretty good idea of what was going on. Sakura's astounding powers, powers that even the Faerie Lord couldn't explain, the Gate Keeper's almost constant presence around them, and now the fiasco of the Binding...that voice, and her eyes...it was all adding up to only one thing.

Somehow, someway, Haevyn must have bonded to Sakura the same way Skwall had bonded to Itachi. Sasuke had no idea how or when this could have happened, but he was fairly certain it had. It explained why she was so powerful, even though she was only half-Faerie, it explained why the Gate Keeper had such an interest in her, it explained – to some extent – what happened during the Binding...

Though Sasuke was still wondering why her hair had grown like that.

He stared at her face, at the slight frown that pulled at her lips, as though even in sleep her thoughts weren't happy ones. She looked so unassuming, so...innocent...that it was hard to believe she could be the physical shell of a goddess.

But at the same time, it seemed strangely fitting. From what he understood of Haevyn, she was a kind, forgiving, and loving goddess, the one who sheltered the Otherworld and the human world from Skwall's storm.

And Sasuke had never known anyone who embodied those qualities quite like Sakura did.

He realised he was being surprisingly flippant about the idea of his...(friend? teammate?)...of Sakura being a goddess, but something told him it hadn't really sunk in yet.

As he watched, Sakura shifted a little in her sleep, the frown melting away as her features relaxed, her eyes slowly blinking open.

"Sasuke?" she murmured, stretching like a sleepy kitten in the sun. "What are you doing here?"

"You didn't come back."

"Oh, I guess I fell asleep," Sakura mused, sitting up and tossing her hair back over her shoulders.

Sasuke had a moment to realise her scent had changed. The half-nymph used to smell of sakura, but now she smelled like wildflowers and fruit, thick grass and deep earth, clear, crisp mountain air and the cool, pure scent of the wild river. Now, Sakura smelled of the land.

"Is the Gate Keeper nearby?" she asked, looking around the forest.

"No," Sasuke said shortly, a little peeved she wasn't immediately launching into an explanation of what was happening now. Sure, he suspected Haevyn was dwelling in her body, but it didn't mean he understood _how_ this had happened. "You should be careful who you run off with."

Sakura gave a short burst of laughter. "This from the guy who ran off to play with the snake-man? No offense, Sasuke, but I don't think you're qualified to give advice on who I run off with."

Sasuke blinked. Coming from Sakura, that was an unusually barbed comment. He'd heard worse, of course, but still...

"Are you alright?" he couldn't help asking.

"I'm fine."

But Sasuke knew she was lying. He could see in her eyes that something had rattled her – more than rattled her; something had tipped her entire sense of the world on its head. But whatever it was, she was remaining tight-lipped about it.

"Sakura..." Sasuke suddenly realised he had no idea what to say.

"Don't worry about it, Sasuke," she said quietly. "I suppose I should go back now, anyway...stop people from worrying and all..."

She rose and made her way out of the forest. Sasuke followed after a moment, still unable to shake the idea that something wasn't quite right.

-xxx-

Under different circumstances, Sakura would have found her friends' expression funny. When she and Sasuke got back to the campsite and gathered the others, she'd told them what she'd learned...or at least, a part of what she'd learned. She'd told them about Haevyn's essence having made a home in her when she was eight, and about it having been sealed away so Itachi wouldn't suspect he had a rival in her. She told them about the power being unleashed in those encounters with Itachi/Skwall, driven by her desperate need for it, and the seal finally being erased and the essence awoken when the Binding joined her to the land.

But she didn't tell them that she'd felt the Uchiha massacre, and that it had come close to driving her mad. She didn't tell them about the manipulation that had ruled her entire life. She didn't know if she could ever tell them.

And now, at the end of her story, shocked silence reigned.

Even Sasuke, who'd put all the pieces together, was astonished. He'd suspected she was Haevyn's vessel, but to have her sit down and explain how and why it had come to be as though she were explaining that two plus two made four was a surreal experience.

"So...what now?" Tenten asked. "Now that you're a goddess and all..."

Sakura shrugged. "Beats me...I go and fight Itachi, I guess..."

"Don't be hasty, Daughter of the Land," the Gate Keeper said quietly, stepping into their little circle with Cohen at his side as though they'd appeared out of thin air.

Which, Hinata reminded herself, was entirely possible.

"Oh, it's you again," Sakura grumbled, not feeling very kindly disposed toward the Faerie stag.

"The Gate Keeper has informed me of the situation," Cohen said gravely.

Then, to the surprise of everyone present, he sank into a deep bow before Sakura, the gesture obviously an expression of reverence and worship. "Haevyn."

"Don't do that!" Sakura yelped. "Don't call me that! I'm not Haevyn – I'm Sakura!"

"The goddess in within you-" Cohen began, but the Gate Keeper cut him off.

"What she says is correct; she is not Haevyn. The goddess essence is within her, but they have yet to merge fully."

"What does that mean?" Mikiko broke in, wrapping an arm around her daughter's shoulders, her face twisted in concern. Goddess essence or no goddess essence, Sakura was still her child, and this whole situation was making her maternal instincts scream.

"While Daughter of the Land has been able to use some of Haevyn's lesser powers for some time, her power has never been what Skwall's is, because she and Haevyn have never merged in the way that Skwall and his vessel have."

"But then what was that thing during the Binding?" Tenten asked softly. "When Sakura's hair grew and her voice changed?"

"That was a moment – a few seconds, no more – when Haevyn's essence touched that of Daughter of the Land. It was not a true merging, but it was enough to effect a physical change as her body became charged with the goddess' powers."

"Yeah, why _did_ my hair grow?" Sakura muttered, yanking on the thick strands to illustrate her point.

The Gate Keeper shrugged. "When Haevyn's essence first made a home in your body when you were eight years old, your hair was just starting to grow long. Perhaps she simply reverted that aspect of your body back to what she remembered."

Cohen thought it wasn't only that, but he made no mention of his prophetic dream. Perhaps the goddess simply had a sense of drama.

"So, because Sakura and the goddess-chick aren't merged, Itachi'd kick her butt if she tried to take him on?" Naruto summarised.

The Gate Keeper nodded, though he looked as though he disliked having it put in such simple terms.

"So before I can help Konoha, I have to learn how to merge with the goddess," Sakura sighed. "How do I do that?"

"There are certain techniques...abilities...I could teach you," Cohen began. "They'll help you tap deeper into Haevyn's power, perhaps enable you to touch the goddess essence again. I use a similar sort of technique when I tap into the land during the Binding ritual."

Sakura sighed once more, puffing out her cheeks like she would after a hard shift at the hospital. "Okay, let it never be said Haruno Sakura wasn't willing to learn. Let's go."

"Now?" Cohen asked in surprise.

"No time like the present," she muttered, hauling herself to her feet. "Where do you want to go for this training?"

"Just follow me a little way into the forest," the Faerie Lord began, stepping ahead of her to show her the way.

"Bye, guys," Sakura waved over her shoulder, noting the way the Gate Keeper stepped away and vanished behind a nearby tree. She had the feeling his mysterious appearances and disappearances could really get on your nerves if you let them.

"Bye, Sakura," Hinata said weakly.

"Be careful," Mikiko told her.

A few hands lifted in half-hearted waves, but Sakura could tell her friends were still too busy working through their shock to put much effort into it.

"Wow..." Naruto muttered blankly, staring after Sakura and Cohen as they departed. "So Sakura's a goddess, huh?"

"It certainly seems so," Hinata reflected. "Remember what happened during the ritual? That voice..."

"It sounded like Itachi's did," Tenten said quietly. "I mean, without giving you the feeling of wanting to piss your pants in sheer terror. But it was the sort of voice you could feel in every part of you, you know?" She snorted. "Maybe it's just something gods do."

The brunette sneaked a glance at Neji out of the corner of her eye. The Hyuuga was leaning against a tree, his eyes closed and his face set in a frown; his usual posture when he'd heard or seen something he wasn't quite sure how to react to, and was internalizing the information to process later.

Mikiko, like Naruto, was staring at the edge of the forest where she'd last seen her daughter. She had the look of someone in deep shock, who was only now beginning to understand what she'd learned.

Sasuke could sympathise; after all, he supposed it wasn't everyday you were told your child was the vessel for a goddess you'd thought long-gone.

He shook his head. Even though he'd suspected it, even though he had turned the idea around in his brain before...his mind still boggled at the implications. Sakura...was a goddess. Sakura, who been so inexperienced and unsure of herself in the field when they were genin...and she'd had the powers of a goddess inside her, all that time.

"So, what now?" Naruto asked. "Is she still Sakura, or is she Haevyn now? Or is she Sakura and Haevyn? Is she both of them sort of blended together somehow, or can she turn them on and off like a lightswitch – you know, one minute she's Sakura, the next, she's Haevyn? Or-"

"Shut up, Naruto!" Sasuke snarled. "No one knows any more than you do."

Which disturbed Sasuke more than he wanted to admit. He'd thought there was something wrong with her in the forest earlier...what if that was because Sakura wasn't really Sakura anymore; she was somehow Haevyn, too? Had he thought something was wrong because his instincts were alerting him to the fact that Sakura had been changed somehow?

No, he refused to believe that. Sakura was stronger than that; she couldn't have been subsumed by some goddess' soul so easily. No, Sakura was still Sakura, and Sasuke would continue to believe that until he saw definitive proof to the contrary.

He refused the acknowledge that little voice in his head telling him that this conclusion wasn't based on logic or evidence, but simply on the fact that the thought of Sakura erased forever was too painful to contemplate.

"She's still Sakura," Tenten said quietly, her thoughts obviously mirroring Sasuke's. "You all saw her; she didn't seem changed by this at all. I won't claim to have known her for as long as some of you, but I didn't see any evidence of something else inhabiting her mind. She was little edgy, sure, but given what she's just learned, I don't see how that's much of a surprise."

"Yeah!" Naruto brightened up instantly. "Sakura'll be fine! Remember when she booted Ino out of her mind in the chunin exams? That pretty much proves she can take care of her own mind and kick anyone who tries to take over to the curb! She'll learn to tap into her goddess-y powers and then we'll go back to Konoha with a Faerie army and she'll kick Itachi's butt!"

Naruto sounded completely confident, but Sasuke noticed he held Hinata's hand very tightly in his own. Sometimes he wondered how much of Naruto's optimism was real, and how much was just a facade.

Tenten smiled tightly, her own hands gripping at the grass beneath her until she thought she would rip it out.

She firmly believed what she'd just said – Sakura was still Sakura...but for how long? How long and how deeply could you touch another soul without being changed by it, consumed by it? Could it happen to Sakura? Could she one day look into Sakura's eyes and see nothing of her friend's soul behind them?

Tenten was so absorbed in her thoughts she nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a warm, strong hand slide between hers and the grass, forcing to her release her death-grip on the plants as long fingers curled around the back of her hand, cradling it snugly.

She blinked, following the arm to the man it was attached to. Neji's expression hadn't altered in the slightest; if she didn't have tangible proof he was holding her hand, she might have believed she was being touched by a phantom. As she stared, Neji squeezed her hand gently, still without any change in his expression; he didn't even open his eyes.

In spite of the situation, Tenten couldn't help but smile and squeeze back.

-xxx-

"I don't think this is working," Sakura commented, breaking off from making flowers and vines grow to address Cohen. "I could do all this before I even encountered Itachi for the first time, and I don't think I'm coming any closer to Haevyn's essence."

"Try to manipulate the land itself, then, rather than the plants," the Faerie Lord advised, remembering when he saw her working her will on the water in the lake.

Sakura nodded.

"You seem very calm about all this," he ventured softly.

He wasn't just talking about the exercises; he was talking about everything she'd just learned about her powers and her life and they both knew it.

"I suppose I do," Sakura said quietly. She wasn't sure if she was in some sort of mental shock, or if she was simply in denial – refusing to think about the implications of this in favour of concentrating on what she had to do.

"Maybe I've just reached my limit," she mused.

"Your limit?"

"Maybe there's a limit to the number of times you can be completely freaked-out each week or month or something," she continued. "And I've hit my limit, after which nothing can unsettle me until next week or month or whenever the count resets."

"Maybe," Cohen said, his smile telling her he appreciated her attempt at humour.

"By the way, what about the other Faerie? What do they think of this? I mean, they used to look in on our camp practically every ten minutes, but I haven't seen so much as a single pixie since the Binding."

"You scared them," Cohen said softly. "That moment of power during the Binding...every Faerie for miles felt that. Some of the smarter ones suspect your connection to Haevyn, but some just think you're the avatar of the apocalypse."

"Great!" Sakura muttered, scowling. "So we're even further from our goal of a Faerie army!"

"Not necessarily. I cannot order the Faerie to war...but Haevyn can."

"So if I get in touch with Haevyn's essence again and act the part, I can tell them to go help Konoha and they'll listen to me?"

"They'll hardly disobey their god, will they?"

Sakura broke into a grin. "Then what are we waiting for?"

But several hours later, when she still hadn't been able to do more than brush the edges of the goddess essence, Sakura was beginning to grow frustrated.

"Why is this so difficult? I mean, from what you've told me, I've been touching the essence without realising it during those encounters with Itachi, and then that thing during the Binding...why is it so difficult now?"

"Because in all those instances, the contact with the essence was momentary only, driven by your need to defend either yourself or others," Cohen lectured. "Now that you are making a deliberate effort to merge with the essence for a prolonged period, your own essence is resisting."

"How do you figure?"

"Think of the 'once bitten, twice shy' proverb," he explained. "Haevyn's essence made you so sensitive that the Uchiha massacre nearly drove you mad, so your mind is in no hurry to open that door again."

"But I could probably dampen that sort of awareness now...at least enough to stay sane."

Cohen thought for a moment. "If someone undergoes a traumatic experience, objects or situations that remind them of that experience inspire an instinctive feeling of fear and aversion. With time and gradual desensitization, they can learn to overcome this fear until it does not physically manifest itself. But it is always present, like a tickle in the back of their minds; the urges can be controlled, but they can never truly vanish."

"So I need to desensitize myself?"

Cohen shook his head. "Not quite. Perhaps if we were working in the physical plane, it would be helpful...but we are working in the mental and spiritual. Due to your experiences, your mind will always harbour an aversion to such power. You may learn to control your physical reactions, but it is your mental and spiritual barrier we are trying to overcome. You were capable of doing so when there was a real need for such power – the way some people are capable of overcoming phobias when there is a real need for them to do so – but now that there is no pressing need, you are finding it difficult."

Sakura wasn't quite sure she understood the nuances of that, but she could comprehend his basic point, so she nodded.

"And we must also consider the fact that Haevyn's essence might almost be considered another persona," Cohen continued. "It is difficult to take another's essence into your own. Skwall's vessel had died, so his essence became malleable and the merging was accomplished with ease. But you are still alive. And it isn't easy to surrender your entire being to something else; your mind rejects it, your soul fights it...in short, your essence does everything it can to stay pure."

"Sounds pretty hopeless."

"We just have to let your essence become accustomed to being in contact with Haevyn's essence. We need to take it gradually, slowly build up the level of contact bit by bit, instead of trying to rush towards a merging all at once." Cohen smiled a little bitterly. "Think of an animal in a pot of water. If you raise the temperature to boiling point immediately, the animal will realise something is wrong and trying to escape the pot. If you raise the temperature gradually, bit by bit, it is possible the animal will stay in the pot until it is cooked alive."

"That simile is not comforting in the slightest," Sakura muttered.

Cohen's gaze grew somber...almost grim. "You are no fool, Haruno Sakura...Daughter of the Land. I'm sure you know there is danger in this. I'm sure you know what you risk."

A chill oozed up Sakura's spine as she remembered her first encounter with Itachi, and her impression that he wasn't the same; that some fundamental part of his personality had been tweaked or altered.

Yes, she knew what she was risking. As Cohen had said; Haevyn was another essence, another persona. She'd seen what merging with Skwall had done to Itachi – it had transformed his own essence, changed his personality. Not by much (something told her Itachi and a god of destruction would have very similar mentalities), but enough to make it clear that whatever was dwelling in Itachi's body couldn't truly be called Itachi anymore.

"I know what I can lose," she said softly, staring at the grass. "I'm not risking my life, or my sanity...I'm risking myself. My soul, my essence...whatever you want to call it, if I merge completely with Haevyn, I know it's likely that...that I'll cease to exist."

It was a terrifying prospect, but she comforted herself with the idea that it was only a remote possibility. After all, Itachi and Skwall had merged completely, while she was only trying to touch Haevyn's essence so she could draw on the goddess' power. There would never be prolonged contact, so she wouldn't be risking herself.

At least, so Sakura told herself. Because she wouldn't have had the courage to attempt to touch Haevyn's essence if she didn't.

Sakura shook her head, wondering if there was any possible way to get Faerie help to Konoha before she merged with the goddess essence. After all, there was no indication of how long it would take, and she hated to think of Tsunade and Ino and Kakashi and all the others having to hold their own against the worst of Elseworld without any help...

Then she realised there _was_ a way to help them.

"Hey, you mentioned some Faerie believe I'm Haevyn, right?" she began slowly, her plan coalescing in her mind. In hindsight, this was so obvious it was almost embarrassing they hadn't thought of it before.

Cohen nodded.

"And some Faerie believe we're right about Skwall?"

Another nod, the Faerie Lord's expression shifting to politely puzzled as he obviously wondered why she was asking such questions.

"Well, what if we asked them – just them, not the other Faerie – to fight for us?"


	16. Reinforcements

**Chapter 16**

**Reinforcements**

"So, we just need to guide them back to Konoha?" Tenten clarified.

"Pretty much," Sakura chirped, running her fingers through her recently-shortened hair.

Sakura had quickly tired of having to constantly brush the long pink strands from her eyes, and had asked Tenten to do her a favour involving her kunai. Ten minutes later, the half-nymph's hair was back to its usual length, and there was a bundle of pink strands on the ground being teased away into the trees by the wind.

It seemed this was becoming a habit for Sakura; these emergency haircuts by kunai.

And while Tenten was playing hairdresser, Sakura had mentioned her idea of a small retinue composed of the Faerie that believed them returning to Konoha to strengthen their numbers.

Except that they'd need someone to guide them to Konoha, and to ensure the Hokage didn't order an attack on sight; after all, a troop of inhuman creatures marching up to the gates with no Konoha ninja in their midst might find their reception more hostile than welcoming.

"Well, I can't speak for anyone else, but I'd be willing to guide them back," Tenten said softly. "Tell the Hokage about what's happened here...what you're doing..."

"Yeah..." Sakura mused. After all, Lady Tsunade should know that they now had a fighting chance...that she could take on Itachi/Skwall when she learned to draw on the powers Haevyn had cloistered within her...

Sakura blinked hard, trying to break her train of thought. The idea that she housed a goddess inside her was still a bit too heady for her.

"We should probably tell the others," the half-Faerie said, turning to go back to their campsite. They had wandered into the forest for the haircut, not wanting to litter the lakeside with pink hair. "Give them a chance to volunteer, too. Neji'll probably want to go back with you."

"Are we just going to leave it here?" Tenten asked, gesturing to the pink locks lying on the ground and ignoring Sakura's comment about Neji. "Just here on the forest floor?"

"Why not?" Sakura shrugged. "Birds, field mice and squirrels will use it as material for their nests, which is a lot more use than it'll get if we pick it up and take it home like litter."

"I guess..."

It was when they reached the outskirts of the forest that Tenten spoke again, taking in the complete lack of Faerie presence by the lake and their camp, "By the way, whatever happened to Salena? I mean, I can understand the others being a bit scared of you, but her?"

"She probably doesn't know what to do," Sakura said honestly. "If I know Salena, she'll be one of those who believe I'm Haevyn, which – for her – is just as shocking and unsettling as if she believed I was Skwall himself. Think about it; I was her friend, now I'm her goddess...how much would that freak you out?"

"Well, it's a little strange, thinking that you have Haevyn inside you," Tenten conceded. "But we haven't turned our backs on you."

"Yeah, but you guys are ninja," Sakura explained. "You're used to strange happenings, but by Faerie standards, Salena has led a pretty quiet life. Not to mention, Haevyn worship is much bigger in the Otherworld than in our realm. After all, in the human realm, Haevyn and Skwall are fairytales, but here...they're very real. So I think these happenings are a lot more unsettling for her than they are for you."

"I suppose so..." Tenten mused.

"I really want to change back into my clothes," Sakura admitted, looking down at the white gown that still wrapped her body and casting an envious glance at Tenten's shirt and pants. "But I suppose that should probably wait until after I make my big speech."

"Big speech?" Tenten echoed. "There's a big speech?"

"The Faerie Lord thinks a little pep-talk on my part would go a long way to inspiring the masses."

"He's going to get a bunch of people who think you're the bringer of doom to listen to you?"

"No, I'll just be speaking to the ones who believe I'm Haevyn. Which is probably lucky; I'm nervous enough about having to talk to dozens of people who believe I'm their saviour, so imagine how I'd be if I had to talk to hundreds who thought I was going to usher in the apocalypse..."

"Maybe we should have waited to cut your hair," Tenten pointed out. "If you needed to look the part of a goddess."

"Maybe, but I just couldn't stand that hair another moment," the medic admitted. "If I'd grown it naturally and got used to it gradually, then I'd probably be fine...but to have short, easy-to-manage hair one day and then long, tangling, hard-to-control hair the next...I just wanted to get it back to normal."

"Fair enough."

"Thanks for your help, by the way."

"You're welcome – it's not like I had a busy schedule, anyway."

Sensing the sudden presence of old, powerful magic, Sakura turned to meet the Gate Keeper's stare. She stiffened slightly; while before, she had been grateful for the Gate Keeper's presence, now she found that every time she saw him she was reminded of Haevyn's deliberate, calculated manipulation. And it set her teeth on edge, and made her metaphorical hackles bristle.

Thinking of only one reason he could be there, Sakura asked, "Show time?"

The Gate Keeper nodded – an odd motion on a deer's body. "They are awaiting you, Daughter of the Land."

"Wish me luck," Sakura grinned at Tenten, but the brunette detected the slightest hint of fear in her eyes.

"You'll be fine," Tenten encouraged. "Just imagine you're talking to a bunch of medical students who need a pep talk before they start at the hospital."

"Thanks, I'll try to keep that in mind," Sakura smirked. "See you later."

-xxx-

Hinata dug her fingers into Sakura's shoulders, grimacing as she felt the tight knots in the muscles. "No wonder you're so tense; your muscles are as tight as a wound spring."

"You know, you don't have to-" Sakura's voice broke off as Hinata began a slow, steady kneading. "Oh, _gods_, that feels good, please don't stop!"

Hinata giggled. When Sakura had returned from speaking to the Faerie, the first thing she'd done was change out of the white gown into her old (if a little singed) clothing. And then, instead of sitting down and taking a well-earned rest, she'd promptly begun practicing her abilities, trying to touch Haevyn's essence as she willed the water in the lake to bubble and contort.

Hinata wasn't a true medic, but she knew what happened when a person was given no time to relax. Sakura had been looking haggard, shaken, and stressed ever since she'd realised that she had Haevyn's essence within her. But then, the Hyuuga knew she couldn't imagine the kind of pressure Sakura was under – being told you were a goddess who had to do battle with another god in order to save both the human realm and the Otherworld couldn't be a picnic.

"So, did the pep-talk go well?" Naruto asked, leaning against the base of the tree as Sasuke lounged in the branches. "They're all off to Konoha now, right?"

Sakura had a moment to remember her panic at having to talk to dozens of Faerie, all of whom were staring at her as though she were their messiah, come to lead them to victory. For a moment, she'd been unable to speak, feeling nothing but the weight of thousands of lives settle on her shoulders. She might not have much love for the Faerie as a whole (just as she had little love for some of the human race) but with Haevyn within her, these people were now her responsibility. She'd told them to go to war...and they had.

And now, when they got hurt or died as they inevitably would...it would be her fault. Her responsibility. Her burden to carry, her cross to bear. She just seemed to be getting more and more of them lately.

Belatedly, she realised that she hadn't answered Naruto's question. "Tomorrow. They ship out first thing tomorrow."

"And Neji and I ship out with them," Tenten declared, doing her kunai-juggling trick again. She seemed to do it when she was bored or simply had nothing better to do.

Sakura nodded, then groaned appreciatively when Hinata hit a particularly sensitive spot. "I think I know why Naruto fell in love with you."

"Hey!"

"I was joking, Naruto, relax."

Sakura sighed, trying to let her mind go blank and simply enjoy her friend's impromptu massage. Tried to forget about being a goddess and having, literally, the weight of the world on her shoulders. Tried not to think about the fact that her whole life had been planned out from the beginning.

Tried not to think about anything, or she'd crack.

Sasuke frowned, watching Sakura surreptitiously as the half-nymph sighed and slumped against Hinata's hands, only realising how tense she truly was when she relaxed. It only served to reinforce his suspicion that there was something else eating at her; something she hadn't told them. The fact that she contained Haevyn was stressful enough, yes, but there was something in her eyes, in her expression that made him suspect there was something else, something she was trying not to think about because it was so devastating.

He was determined to find out what it was.

-xxx-

_Everything was dark, painful, and very cold. Cold in the way that reached past her flesh and blood, that bit deep into her soul, chilling her to the very core of her being. There was pain in the very depths of her heart, because the pain was somehow both physical and emotional at the same time, felt in the roots of her hair and in the depths of her mind, not like a cut or a blow because it wasn't localised; it was everywhere and everything, and she saw, heard, felt, smelt and tasted pain._

_She couldn't tell if it was happening just to her or to the entire world, couldn't tell if it was happening outside of her or inside of her because all borders had dissolved; there was nothing but the dark and the cold and the pain and her own voice screaming and screaming because she didn't know how to make it stop, didn't know what it was she wanted to stop. All she knew was that it went on and on, a long fall into the abyss with no end in sight, nothing to even slow her descent and she just wanted to stop feeling this, to never feel anything again because even complete and utter numbness would be better than this..._

Sakura woke with a start, her heart thundering, her breath sawing in her throat and her mouth dry as sand. She blinked in the darkness, faint moonlight illuminating the figure crouched over her and telling her she'd been woken by Tenten.

"Are you alright?" The brunette's voice was low and intent. "You sounded like you were having one hell of a nightmare..."

It was then Sakura registered that her skin was soaked in the cold sweat of fear, and she was trembling like a frightened child. Not that she was surprised – the nightmare/memory was still lingering in her mind, and even the faint traces of it were enough to make her want to either cry or throw up.

Now that she knew about the origin of these nightmares, she wondered how she could have ever survived the real thing. She'd been eight when the Uchiha massacre occurred, and Sakura still found it astonishing that she hadn't been driven insane by it. Or at the very least, become an unusually cynical and bitter child instead of an energetic and rather happy-go-lucky one.

Was that Haevyn's doing, or was it her own?

Sakura hated the fact that she even had to ask the question. She hated the fact that there was some other soul running around inside her, hated that her whole life had been nothing but some sort of strategy designed by an all-powerful being to trip up another all-powerful being, hated the fact that these gods played with their lives without regard to who or what was hurt in the process...

Something of her thoughts must have shown on her face, because Tenten – looking concerned – repeated her previous question in a more urgent tone.

Was she going to be alright? Of course she was; it was the way she was made to be. To do her duty and merge with Haevyn and not complain about the fact that she was going to lose herself in the process, going to die just as surely as if Itachi had torn her heart out, except that her corpse would walk and talk and live as goddess and remember her entire life even if everything that was Sakura had died a long time ago. And she would do it and save everyone and not say a word because that would be stupid and selfish and...and...and Sakura wondered if she was going to cry. It seemed that whenever she thought about this particular subject, tears were never far behind.

Tenten seemed to have an idea of the storm of emotions roiling within Sakura, because she didn't say anything more. Just leaned forward and drew Sakura into a hug, sweat-soaked clothes and all.

_'Oh, damn...'_ was all Sakura thought, feeling her eyes prickle. While callousness or cruelty had always had a way of hardening her heart, she often found herself breaking down at the slightest hint of sympathy or kindness.

She hugged back, and had to make a conscious effort not to put her superhuman strength into it, her desperation and need were so great.

"You think we don't know," Tenten said softly, right next to her ear. "But we know there's something else. Something you haven't told us. Something you think we can't handle?"

Sakura sniffled noisily, but her cheeks remained dry, unstained by salt water. "I...I...I can't..."

She cringed as she said it, called herself a coward, a spineless weakling who just wanted to shut her eyes and ignore what she couldn't cope with...

"Or something you can't bring yourself to say," Tenten finished, in the tone of one who'd just figured something out.

Sakura nodded, her face burning with shame.

"It's okay," her friend soothed, rubbing her back as though she were comforting a terrified child. Which, Sakura had to admit, she was feeling more and more like every minute. "I don't know what the Faerie think, but I can assure you, Sakura, _we _don't expect you to be some all-powerful, all-wise being who never falters and always knows what to do. You aren't Haevyn to us, Sakura...you're still yourself. Still human."

Sakura bit her lip and tried not to cry. Not because she believed crying was a weakness – somehow, it always seemed to her that the opposite was true; that the people who never cried were always more likely to crumble under pressure, while those who did were the ones who could stand firm – but because if she cried now, she didn't know if she could ever make herself stop.

Maybe it was the nightmare, maybe it was Tenten's unquestioning acceptance, but Sakura found that in this moment, she couldn't ignore the knowledge of Haevyn's manipulation the way she usually did. Denial only lasted so long, and was much harder to maintain in the darkness of the night when you were cradled in the arms of a sympathetic friend.

So she buried her head into Tenten's shoulder, her fingers clenching in the brunette's clothes, wrinkling and bunching the fabric. But she didn't say anything.

She didn't want to tell her, she didn't want to tell anyone. She didn't want her friends to feel what she felt; that their life was empty, their dreams and hopes and loves all engineered, all scripted and written out ahead of time.

Sakura sighed shakily, trying to calm herself. She tried to quieten her thoughts by tuning into her 'land sense'; it always seemed to have a soothing, peaceful effect on her...at least, when nothing was being killed nearby.

But she hadn't figured on what would happen if she tuned into the land while she was so miserable. Her still-tempestuous emotions sought an outlet, and made use of the only one available to them.

As sudden as a slap, rain began to pour from the sky, beating a wild, untamed rhythm against the canvas that had been stretched over the ninjas' bedrolls to shelter them from the elements.

"Wow, that storm came up fast," Tenten whispered, a hint of anxiety in her voice as she remembered the last storm that had blown up so quickly.

"Don't worry – I think it's my doing," Sakura said absently, watching the way the lake's surface shivered at the impact of thousands of raindrops.

"You _think_?" Tenten couldn't help the astonishment that leaked into her voice. How could it be that Sakura only _thought _she'd made it rain?

"I'm not feeling the best at the moment...obviously." Sakura surprised herself when she chuckled a little, but there was something very cathartic about watching the rain pound down as though in an expression of her own sorrow and frustration. "So I reached into my 'land sense' to try to calm myself down, but my emotions were all over the place, and I kept thinking I was about to cry...and then it started raining."

"Oh." It was all Tenten could say, reeling from the evidence of how powerful Sakura was. Even though she hadn't merged with Haevyn, she was powerful enough to start a rainstorm without even being aware she was doing so, with no conscious effort on her part.

Some part of Sakura was nervous, wondering how she could do this...but another was quite content to simply watch, finding vicarious release in the rain.

When Sakura next laid down to sleep, she was feeling much calmer, and she remained untroubled by nightmares.

-xxx-

"Are you sure this is safe?" Shikamaru asked, shifting in the saddle.

"Of course it's safe; I haven't fallen off yet!" Ino declared.

Considering Ino had only been flying on Hatchling's back for a few days, Shikamaru didn't think that was a rousing endorsement, and told her so.

"Don't be such a wimp," she scolded, finishing her last-minute check of Hatchling's tack and scrambling into the saddle in front of Shikamaru. Hatchling shifted a little under the added weight, but when Ino rubbed her neck and spoke softly to her, the dragon calmed, accepting the double burden without complaint.

"Just hold on and you'll be fine," Ino instructed. "At least you can actually hang onto something – I have to hold the reins, so if someone falls out it's more likely to be me."

Shikamaru didn't find that reassuring either, but didn't say anything this time. Tsunade had taken to using Hatchling as something of a scout – her flight could go a lot faster and further than a ninja group, and she and any riders were safe from danger on the ground, which meant Daemon attacks were not as much of a concern. And the double saddle meant that two ninja could ride comfortably.

Except they'd discovered in the first day that Hatchling was reluctant to have anyone but Ino on her back. The problem probably could have been avoided if other people had ridden the dragon in the first few weeks of her education, but hindsight was always twenty-twenty. Thus, Ino was now trying to adapt Hatchling to other riders, and figured the best way to start was having people she already knew and liked riding double with her.

At the moment, it was Shikamaru's turn; Chouji's came several hours later.

"Now pay attention to the commands," Ino instructed bossily. "This is as much your lesson as Hatchling's – you have to know how to control her. I'm giving her the flight command now...Hatchling, _giddy-up_!"

As the dragon hurled herself and her riders into the air, Shikamaru's first instinct was to grab whatever he could and hold on _tight_. The fact that what he'd grabbed was soft and pliant instead of firm and leathery didn't penetrate his usually detail-oriented brain until the wings on either side of him had calmed their buffeting strokes to a gentle glide.

In that moment he realised he'd wrapped his arms around Ino's ribcage, just under her breasts.

In the next moment, Shikamaru wondered why she hadn't killed him yet.

"Isn't this great?" Ino shrieked enthusiastically, and the Nara decided he was very lucky; she was probably too exhilarated to pay much attention to where his arms had gone (not that he was moving them anytime soon; he was going to enjoy this while he could).

Shikamaru could admit the sensation of flight was a pleasant one, but his mind was still rather caught up in the fact that his seat in the saddle and his grip on Ino were all that stood between him and his obituary in Konoha's newspaper.

When the blonde guided the dragon into a swooping dive to check out a suspicious shadow lurking in the forest, the unpleasant sensation of vertigo made Shikamaru feel as though he'd left his stomach several feet behind them.

Still, as they leveled out when Ino confirmed the shadow was nothing more than a herd of deer silhouetted in the shade, Shikamaru had to admit he was starting to enjoy himself. There was something very...freeing, for lack of a better word...about it.

"If you want her to speed up," Ino was saying, her voice nearly lost in the streaming wind; Shikamaru was beginning to understand why she was wearing goggles. "Tap her with your heels twice, and say 'forward', okay? The attack command is 'lilacs', and-"

"Lilacs?" Shikamaru echoed.

"I needed something that wouldn't be hurled indiscriminately around the battlefield and confuse her."

Shikamaru nodded absently, his death-grip on Ino easing a little as he became more comfortable with the flight. It was in a ninja's nature to be adaptive.

Below them Konoha looked like a patchwork quilt; coloured squares of rooftops with roads winding through them like seams. From the air, the village looked small and fragile, and Shikamaru wondered how it had held up to Daemon attacks for so long.

Because they _had_ been surprisingly lucky so far. There had been astonishingly little ninja causalities when compared to those of the Daemons; they'd wiped out entire forces with little more than minor injuries on more than one occasion. And he had to wonder why. It wasn't that the Daemons were simply that weak; Suna had reported far more heavy casualties than Konoha, which was especially strange as the Sand shinobi weren't suffering from half as many Daemon attacks as Konoha was.

So what was happening?

-xxx-

"Got everything packed?" Sakura asked as Tenten gave their campsite a cursory once-over to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. Not that she would have – after losing her pack in a river, Tenten's possessions in the Otherworld were limited to her weapon scrolls and the clothes on her back.

"Packed and ready to go," Tenten declared, throwing a joking salute.

"Glad to be heading back for Konoha?"

"Definitely. No disparagement on the Otherworld intended, but it'll be nice to have another change of clothes."

"You're preaching to the choir," Sakura muttered, plucking at a blackened hem. "At least yours aren't singed."

"Only problem...which one of us gets the bedroll?" Tenten remarked, looking at their shared bed for a moment, before shrugging and turning away. "You have it."

"Really?"

"I'm only going to be camping out for one more day before I'm back in Konoha; you'll be here for an indefinite period of time to come."

"I suppose so. And thanks."

"Don't mention it," Tenten said cheerfully.

"Are we going now?" Neji interjected.

"Yeah, we're going," the brunette laughed. "Don't be so impatient, Neji!"

"Now remember, the Gate Keeper will take you through the Deepest Well, and the Faerie will be waiting on the other side," Sakura lectured. "Salena should be among them, and no matter how freaked out she is about this, she'll probably be a great help in keeping everyone organised. Itachi might sense what you're doing, but don't worry about it too much – with the way I am now, I'll be able to sense it if he steps into the human realm, and I'll be able to keep him off your back."

No one commented on the fact that such an act would involve Sakura attempting to draw Itachi into combat...combat she was nowhere near ready for.

"Don't worry about it," Tenten said, smiling and attempting not to think about what would happen if Itachi and Sakura clashed now, when Sakura was still struggling to touch Haevyn's essence and powers. "We'll be fine."

"Tenten..." Sakura grasped her friend's arm, arresting the brunette's attention. "If there are dragons...be careful. Stormseeker tends to lead dragon attacks, and he'll be after you if he gets a chance. You blinded him in one eye, after all...and he holds grudges. If he gets a hold of you, your death will be as nasty and as messy as he can make it."

In spite of the grave situation, Sakura had to hide a smile at the scowl on Neji's face, the look that clearly said 'over my dead body'. It was sweet; in a macho, overprotective way...but then again, all ninjas were protective of people they loved.

And now that she knew Konoha was getting some help, she could concentrate on her own efforts to stop Itachi.

-xxx-

Tenten reflected that Sakura had been right; Salena was a god-send. However unsettled she might be at the discovery that her childhood friend was the vessel for the goddess she'd worshiped her entire life, she could appreciate the gravity of the situation. When Tenten and Neji had emerged from the Deepest Well, they'd found the Faerie organised and waiting for their direction, Salena at their head. Apparently the unicorn's friendship with Haevyn's vessel meant that even the older Faerie treated her with a measure of respect.

Tenten decided there was certainly something ironic in that; that the friendship which Salena was once scorned for should now give her such status.

Now they were moving through the forest at a steady, if rather slow, pace. It took time and effort to keep a group of over a hundred together, especially with the pixies' insects and the wargs' wolves along for the trip.

"You know, I've never really appreciated the four-man team system until now," Tenten commented to Neji as they ploughed through the undergrowth. "At the very least, you move quickly."

"And quietly," Neji snorted, his voice low so they couldn't be heard over the Faerie voices behind them.

"Still, at least Konoha will finally have some reinforcements," Tenten said brightly. "And Faerie have fought Daemons before, so-"

She was cut off as Salena suddenly shouted, "_Daemons! Headed this way!_"

And both ninjas whirled to meet the threat.

-xxx-

"There's something just creepy about that," Naruto commented, moving his hand back and forth in front of Sakura's face. Her eyes followed it sluggishly, as though she were concussed. "You look like you're drunk."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"A part of my awareness is following Tenten, Neji, and the others, Naruto," Sakura reminded him. "I can't focus on your hand because my focus is on them."

"Like an out-of-body experience?" Hinata asked.

"I guess so. Never had one before, so I don't really have anything to compare it to, but I suppose it would be similar."

Sasuke noticed that Sakura's words were slow and measured, as though she had to think hard about each syllable before she pronounced it.

The Uchiha shifted on the spot, as his mind insisted on remembering why Sakura was concentrating on the Faerie force moving through Fire Country. In case Itachi attacked them. And if Itachi attacked them, Sakura would go to help. Would throw herself into a fight that – at her current level of power – she would probably lose.

Sasuke's hands itched to reach for a weapon and vent some frustration.

But his thoughts were cut off when Sakura gasped, going rigid.

"What's the matter?" Naruto yelped.

"Daemons," Sakura breathed. "Attacking them."

She was torn; what should she do? The Gate Keeper had told her that Haevyn's essence would allow her to shift to anywhere in the human realm, her own raw powers bridging the realms the same way Mikiko's tree acted as a passageway for her mother.

But while she could appear in the human realm to help them, she didn't know if it was a good idea. The Faerie would probably be able to hold off the Daemons, and if she appeared in the human realm, Itachi might be alerted as to what she was.

But at the same time...even if the Faerie could hold off Skwall's creatures, there would be casualties...on both sides.

Sakura remembered the day she had worked through Kakashi – using his body to channel her power – and wondered if she could do something like that again. Was it even possible from such a distance?

But on the other hand...she was a goddess! Who cared about what was _possible_?

The half-Faerie shut her eyes, her conscious mind all-but departing her body (she wondered if this was what Ino's signature technique felt like), homing in on Neji and Tenten like a well-thrown kunai.

-xxx-

_Tenten!_

Tenten blinked, glancing around the battlefield, certain she had just heard Sakura...

A wraith hissed through the air like a malicious viper, and the brunette ducked, dismissing her thoughts. She found herself feeling grateful for the Faerie around her; Faerie magic had been shown to be capable of injuring wraiths even when in their insubstantial form – not just cause them pain, as chakra did, but actually physically damage them.

_Tenten, dammit, listen to me!_

And that sounded even more like Sakura. Not knowing what else to do, and wondering if her mind had finally snapped, Tenten launched into a high kick as she muttered, "Yes?"

The wraith turned insubstantial, and her boot ghosted straight through. But her chakra-charged kunai came around from the side, and the Daemon's resulting shriek was rather satisfying.

_I think I can help you. It wouldn't be a good idea to suddenly appear in the human realm – might tip our hand to Itachi and all that – but there's a way I can work through you. I sort of give you some of my powers, and then you can use them the way I use them._

"But I don't know how to use them," Tenten pointed out, dismissing the insanity of hearing a disembodied voice in favour of dealing with their current problem.

_That's why I'll stay with you, and help guide you in using them._

"You can do that?"

_Guess we'll find out, won't we? After all, I never thought I could communicate with you like this._

"Speaking of which, how _are _you communicating?"

_We'll work out the details later._

Which told Tenten it was likely Sakura herself didn't know. Maybe being a goddess meant that your power didn't really have limits or stipulations; perhaps it wasn't that Sakura wanted to do something, and then had to find a way to make it possible to use her power in that way, like jutsus...perhaps it was simply a matter of will. Sakura wanted to do something, and her power found a way.

_But before we do this, I should warn you; it isn't easy for a human to use this kind of power – it might mess you up a bit._

"And this is different from any other difficult battle, how?"

_Good point. Okay, get ready._

Neji had been wrestling with a shade when he felt it. A sudden fluctuation of air pressure, as though something had imploded. The very air seemed to be suddenly charged, sparking with power.

And it seemed Tenten was the source of this power.

Curls of what looked like emerald-hued smoke danced around her like tongues of flame, strongly reminding Neji of when Sasuke had unleashed the cursed seal during the first chunin exams. The air seemed to fizz and crackle, alive with energy.

The Hyuuga realised the Daemons were shrinking back, cringing away from Tenten like children cowering under a bed to hide from the bogeyman.

Tenten turned, and snapped her hand towards a group of cringing wraiths. The raw, green-tinged power seemed to wash over them like a wave crashing down onto a sandcastle. And like the sandcastle, the wraiths were obliterated.

But they didn't drop to the ground, or melt into the black puddle that wraiths usually did when they were killed. Instead, they simply seemed to evaporate into the air, as though the very molecules of their body were being torn apart.

Within moments, there was nothing left of the dozen or so wraiths Tenten had gestured at.

Another flick of her wrist, and another group of Daemons melted into the air. By now, Skwall's creatures had realised they had to take Tenten out before she destroyed their entire force, and Neji moved to intercept the shade that had lunged for her back. But he soon realised he needn't have bothered.

A lone wraith went for Tenten's throat, but as soon as it was within two feet of her it dissolved like the others. It was as though an aura of power surrounded the brunette; an aura no Daemon could enter.

The battle – if it could be called that – was very, very quick.

As the last Daemon (at least, the last of the ones foolish enough to stand their ground) was destroyed, Neji became aware that the Faerie around them were staring at Tenten in a way that made him wonder if they were about to prostrate themselves on the ground in worship.

Tenten blinked slowly, and then the power that had suddenly filled the forest vanished, as though an invisible switch had been flipped.

Tenten wavered, tilting back and forth like someone in the last stages of exhaustion. Neji put his hands on her shoulders to steady her, and her head turned slowly, drunkenly, to look at him.

"Neji...?"

Her voice was slurred, and her eyes seemed unable to focus. Then, abruptly, Tenten lurched to her hands and knees and vomited on the forest floor. She continued retching until long after her stomach was empty, until her ribs and belly ached and she was disgorging nothing but acrid, burning bile.

The brunette felt her limbs fold beneath her, as though her spell of sickness had drained all her strength. She sagged against the arm she had only now realised was wrapped around her waist. She dimly registered the feel of a hand moving back and forth across the nape of her neck in gentle, soothing circles.

Tenten tried to focus on what was happening around her, but found herself unable to. Aside from the lingering nausea, she had a headache that could rival the worst of migraines, as though someone were trying to split her head apart from within. Spots of colour swam into her vision as her sight blurred and wavered as though she were about to faint.

"Do you think you're done vomiting?" came a surprisingly soft voice from somewhere above her head.

Tenten finally realised it was Neji who was holding her. She vaguely remembered his hands on her shoulders, before her nausea physically manifested itself. Apparently he'd only shifted his hold on her, instead of letting go entirely.

"I don't feel too well," she breathed unsteadily, feeling suddenly chilled.

"I gathered that," Neji said evenly. "Do you feel like vomiting some more?"

Tenten shook her head, then promptly stilled her movement as it only made her headache worse. "Don't think 'm gonna throw up again..."

With her vision fading in and out, Tenten was only dimly aware of the horizon abruptly tilting as her legs were suddenly swung up to rest level with her chest. She couldn't figure out why, and simply blinked dazedly, her brain seemingly stuffed with cotton wool, her eyes seeing nothing but a strange sort of off-white colour.

"Why do I see white?" she murmured, barely aware she had spoken aloud.

"Because my shirt is white," Neji replied.

Tenten processed this. It took several moments.

Her tongue felt thick, her lips stiff...she wondered if she was even coherent when she spoke again, "Why do I see your shirt?"

"Because I'm carrying you."

Another pause while her addled brain made sense of his words. "Why are you carrying me?"

"You aren't in any shape to travel, and we need to find somewhere to camp for the night."

"Oh." Even that small sound took superhuman effort. Her eyelids were starting to droop, her body beginning to shut down...

With a great effort of will, she roused herself for one more question. "Does anyone mind if I pass out?"

"It's okay, Tenten. Rest."

So Tenten let her eyes slip closed and stopped fighting the slow pull of oblivion.

And later, she would tell herself she only imagined the feel of soft lips brushing across her forehead as she finally succumbed to unconsciousness.

-xxx-

Sakura furrowed her brow, her awareness still hovering over Tenten's body even though her powers had departed the brunette long ago. She'd thought there might be some sort of repercussion...but she'd never imagined one of this magnitude!

Firmly pushing her emotions aside and telling herself there would be plenty of time for a guilt-trip later, she concentrated on ascertaining the damage done (and she'd wonder exactly how she was doing this later). It had certainly knocked Tenten for a loop; she could practically feel the sickness radiating from her friend's body like a sour tang on her tongue.

She didn't know how to heal her, didn't even know if it was possible to heal her. But she had to try.

And again, she'd worry about the _how _of it later.

Sakura wasn't sure what she did, only that as she extended her power and willed it to somehow repair whatever damage had been dealt to Tenten, she could feel her friend's condition slowly improving.

So she kept going. She could feel that Tenten had slipped into unconsciousness, and she was grateful; it made her task a lot easier. The body was more willing to heal when it was in a state of rest.

The half-nymph didn't know how long she remained in that strange, half-aware state, letting her power gently wreathe Tenten's body as she willed it back to health. But when she opened her eyes, the sun had set, the moon was high in the sky, and their campsite was illuminated by the soft glow of a dying fire. There was a weight on her shoulders; someone had draped a blanket over her while her mind was elsewhere. Sakura automatically pulled it a little tighter around her, and looked for her friends.

Naruto and Hinata were curled up in their sleeping roll, her back to his chest, his arms anchoring her tightly against him. Half-expecting Sasuke to be asleep as well, she was surprised to find him was sitting beside her, a cup of water and a small collection of fruit resting in front of him.

"You're awake," he noted.

"Yeah." Sakura was surprised how hoarse her voice sounded. "I lent Tenten some of my power to help beat off the Daemons; it worked really well!"

She didn't mention the fact that her raw, undiluted power was capable of completely destroying Daemons by simple contact; she was still a little freaked out by that concept.

"But it didn't do Tenten any favours," she sighed. "She's not used to the power the way I am – her body rejected it, and pretty violently, too. She was in a bad way for a while, but I think I've pretty much fixed her up."

The medic thinned her lips as she made a silent vow to never channel that amount of power through someone else ever again.

"Hn." Sasuke handed her the cup of water and a pear.

"For me?" Sakura asked blankly. Sasuke had saved her some dinner?

"Yes. Do you want it or not?"

His brusqueness didn't put her off; this was Sasuke, after all.

"Thank you!" she beamed, taking a long drink of water before biting gleefully into the pear. Gee, this was almost sweet of him...

"Will you be...doing that...often?" Sasuke asked, a small furrow forming between his eyebrows.

"Probably not," Sakura admitted. "It's not fun; you feel like you're in limbo, just drifting around in space, aware of what's happening but not really able to participate – at least, not physically. I had to concentrate really hard to talk to Tenten-"

"You talked to her?"

"Yeah...I'm not sure how. Just like I'm not sure how I could give Tenten my power or heal her like I did from so far away..." Sakura laughed softly, "Seems like there's a lot of things I'm not sure about lately."

Her eyes were shadowed as she stared into the night, and Sasuke remembered his conviction that there was something haunting Sakura, something she hadn't yet told them. He wondered if he should ask her about it, but as he took in the tight lines around her mouth and the tension in her hands he decided against it. Later, perhaps, but not now.

Sakura groaned softly, setting down her water in favour of rubbing her stiff neck. She wondered if Ino's body ever got stiff muscles while she was performing her Mind Transfer technique. Probably not, because she generally had Shikamaru nearby to look after her body when she performed it...

Sakura's thoughts stuttered to a halt as she felt strong fingers begin to knead at the knotted muscles in her neck.

Her head turned in surprise, her eyes confirming that, yes, it was definitely Sasuke rubbing her neck. He was staring determinedly ahead, as though he were refusing to acknowledge her existence, but his fingers kept moving, gently working at the taut muscle fibres.

She was about to ask him why he was being so uncharacteristically caring, but then his fingers hit that particularly tender spot, and Sakura decided she didn't care, just so long as he didn't stop.

Across the campsite, a drowsy Naruto raised his head for a moment, then had to hide his grin in Hinata's hair.

-xxx-

Neji pressed his hand to Tenten's forehead, noting with relief that her fever had finally gone down.

He still had no idea what she'd done or how she'd done it. The Faerie had been whispering about Haevyn's power, and when he asked Salena, the unicorn had said that it had seemed as though Tenten were channeling Faerie magic...but the sheer size and scope of such power was beyond any Faerie she knew.

So...what had happened? He'd activated his Byakugan to examine her chakra network, wondering if she had drained herself to dangerous levels...

But Tenten's chakra network wasn't weak or failing. It didn't look like it had been sapped nearly completely; on the contrary, it looked like it had been overloaded somehow.

Neji supposed he wouldn't get any answers to his questions until Tenten woke up, and the idea irked him. How could he help her if he didn't know what was wrong with her?

He glanced out at the campsite, watching the Faerie bunk down for the night. Pixies rested with their insects in the branches, unicorns assumed their true form and – in equine fashion – dozed off while standing up. Centaurs did the same, and wargs lay with their wolf packs in tangles of limbs and fur. Tree nymphs changed into their plant form, while river nymphs and selkies stretched out on the ground, remaining in their human forms as they couldn't find a large body of water nearby.

Some Faerie were having injuries magically healed by a comrade – just as Faerie magic could prove devastating to Daemons, so Daemon magic could harm them. Salena had explained that was what it felt like Tenten had been doing; blasting the Daemons with concentrated magic, too much of it for them to fight against it or even survive such contact.

A few slinkers had tried to shift into Faerie shapes to escape detection, but they had been easily rooted out and destroyed. While Daemons were difficult for ninjas to detect – it was their lack of chakra that made them conspicuous, not their presence – Faerie could sense them easily; much in the way a skilled shinobi could detect flares of chakra.

At least with some Faerie in Konoha, they might have more advance warning of Daemon attacks.

"...Neji...?"

Neji looked down. Tenten was awake, her eyes much brighter and more focused than they had been before she passed out.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked, concern making his voice harsh.

Tenten took it in stride – after all, Neji had been her teammate for many, many years. "Better, definitely better." She shook her head a little as she eased herself into a sitting position in the bedroll, wincing a little; it felt like she'd overworked every muscle in her body. "Boy, Sakura wasn't kidding when she said it would mess me up-"

"_What?_"

Tenten decided to backtrack a little. "I agreed to let Sakura wield her power through me, sort of like a living conduit, so the Daemons could be destroyed before they did too much damage."

"_Sakura_ did this to you?"

"I don't think she meant for the backlash to be that nasty," Tenten explained. "And in all fairness, she did warn me that my body might not be able to take it."

The brunette groaned as she tried to extend her arms. "But you can be sure I'm never, ever doing that again. Why is it that whenever we clash with Daemons, I'm always the one who ends up in a really bad way?"

Neji sighed. Even if Tenten's short-lived illness was over, she still looked exhausted. He supposed being the temporary vessel of a goddess _would_ tire you out rather quickly.

"Lie back down," he instructed.

Tenten might have objected to his authoritative tone, but she was tired, and she'd been wanting to lie down again anyway...

"Why aren't you settling in for the night?" Tenten asked drowsily.

"We have one bedroll between us," Neji said in a very matter-of-fact tone. "You need it more than I do."

"Don't be an idiot!" Tenten snorted. "There's enough room for both of us if we lay on our sides, and it's not like I'm contagious."

She made a logical argument, but something told Neji that he wouldn't get much sleep if he were lying beside Tenten. "But-"

"Neji, don't argue with the invalid – I'm just asking you to sleep with me."

Tenten was apparently too tired to realise her double entendre, but Neji certainly noticed.

_'I will remain firm,'_ he told himself. _'I am a member of the Hyuuga clan, which prizes strong will and determination. I will not-'_

Neji's thoughts broke off as he found himself lifting the blanket and sliding in beside Tenten.

_'I am a disgrace to the Hyuuga name.'_

But in spite of his misgivings, he found himself enjoying the feel of Tenten's spine pressed against his. The position stirred memories of missions, of desperate battles in which they each made sure to guard the other's back. Neji didn't know how many fights had begun or ended like that; he'd lost count by the time he was fifteen.

He found his breathing naturally slowing to match that of the woman behind him, and with one last glance to ensure a Faerie was on watch, Neji closed his eyes and slipped into sleep.

-xxx-

"Do you see that?" Ino asked, leaning over Hatchling's neck in a move that made Shikamaru automatically tighten his grip on her to keep her from tumbling off the dragon's back. "There's a whole troop of people in the forest...and it looks like they're being led by Neji and Tenten..."

Shikamaru twisted in the saddle, catching glimpses of a group of very strange-looking people through the trees below them. He caught flashes of pink hair, and since he'd never seen anyone but Sakura with pink hair (which Ino had told him was a result of being half-Faerie), perhaps these were the promised Faerie reinforcements?

It seemed his second joint flight with Ino was turning out to be a lot more interesting than the first one.

Ino directed Hatchling into a low glide, the dragon's belly practically skimming the treetops as the blonde leaned over the Daemon's neck and waved vigorously.

Now that they were closer, Shikamaru could see that almost all the Faerie were looking upwards, pointing at the dragon and gesticulating wildly. Apparently, someone had sensed their approach.

But at the head of the column, Tenten was waving cheerfully, and Neji had turned to the people behind him, probably informing them there was no danger; that this Daemon was on their side.

"I told you Sakura would get them!" Ino yelled, but Shikamaru thought he detected a hint of worry in her voice. He couldn't really blame her; if everything had been as successful as this looked, then where were the others? What had happened to Naruto, Hinata, Sasuke and Sakura?

"Guess we should tell Lady Tsunade that Konoha is expecting some reinforcements," the blonde went on.

Then, to Shikamaru's astonishment and alarm, she flipped the reins over her head, practically shoving them in his face. "Here, guide her back."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. You have to practice using the reins sometime, Shikamaru. Hurry up!"

Shikamaru slowly withdrew his hands from their usual position around Ino's waist, telling himself his reluctance to move was simply apprehension about trying the guide the enormous dragon himself and certainly nothing to do with liking the fact that he was holding Ino.

Ino let out a small sigh when Shikamaru released her and grabbed the reins with nothing more than a muttered 'troublesome'. Having his arms around her had been rather distracting.

The Nara gave the left rein a light, tentative tug, gradually swinging Hatchling around in her flight until they were headed back towards Konoha.

-xxx-

When Tsunade, Kakashi, and a small retinue of elite jonin gathered at Konoha's gates to greet the arriving Faerie, Ino found herself hard-pressed to wipe the smile off her face; she knew Sakura could do it!

"Lady Tsunade," Tenten greeted, bowing as she and Neji reached the Hokage. "We've brought Faerie reinforcements...and we also have some rather...unexpected...news to deliver..."

Tsunade nodded, giving both Konoha ninjas a look that told them they would have to discuss it later, before she stepped forward to greet Salena at the head of the Faerie force.

"Greetings," she said, very formally, extending her hand to the unicorn. "I'm Tsunade, the Hokage of Konoha."

Salena took the woman's hand eagerly. "I am Salena Moonshadow, and these are your reinforcements."

She flung her hand wide at the assembled masses behind her, and delivered a complete census of the group. "We bring seventy-four nymphs, twenty-nine centaurs, forty-five wargs, sixty-two unicorns, one hundred and three pixies, and thirty-nine selkies; all of us fit, strong, and ready to fight in Haevyn's name."


	17. Haevyn Rising

**Chapter 17**

**Haevyn Rising**

Tenten explained it as accurately and with as much attention to detail as she could, with Neji occasionally interjecting his own insights. The brunette thought it was a measure of how shocked Tsunade and Kakashi were that neither spoke throughout the entire narration.

"-and when I woke up, I was fine, except for feeling a little stiff," Tenten finished. "Quick recovery, I know, but I think Sakura had something to do with it. After all, if she could talk to me and give me some of her power over such a distance, healing me would be pretty easy, right?"

There was a long pause.

Tsunade was the first to speak, "So you're saying that Sakura...that Sakura is..."

"For all intents and purposes, she's a goddess," Tenten nodded.

Kakashi seemed about to speak (it was hard to judge with the mask), but then shook his head, as though he could think of nothing to say. Tenten thought this was probably the first time Kakashi had been left speechless – not that he didn't have good cause to be.

Tsunade had coordinated with Salena to organise the Faerie within Konoha, allocating areas they could stay in and making plans to send several to Suna. Faerie preferred to sleep outdoors (though Salena confessed to some curiosity about these 'houses' Sakura had talked about), so it was simply a matter of finding parks, training grounds, trees and rivers for them to sleep in, and making sure each Faerie knew where their sleeping space was.

At last, when everyone was getting settled, Tsunade had called Neji and Tenten into her office to give their report, and Tenten had mentioned Kakashi should probably come too. She would have suggested Ino as well, but the blonde and Salena were getting along famously, and she had a feeling that the unicorn was going to break the news to Ino sooner rather than later.

The silence in the Hokage's office stretched. Tenten tried to resist the urge to fidget, the impulse increasing in strength as the other occupants remained unnaturally still. Tsunade and Kakashi were probably still recovering from the shock of learning that their student was a goddess, but knowing that didn't make her feel any more comfortable. Neji was unruffled, but then it always seemed to take a lot to disquiet him.

"Um...I'll be going now," Tenten said at last, bowing once before exiting. Neji mimicked the gesture and followed her.

Tsunade let out a shaky sigh, one finger pinching the bridge of her nose. Sakura...was a goddess. Sakura...was Haevyn's vessel, destined to do battle with Itachi/Skwall.

And she'd thought the fact that her apprentice was half-Faerie was monumental news.

"Well...at least someone's going to be able to fight Itachi," she muttered to the room at large as she poured herself some sake. Perhaps if she got nice and toasted and let the concept rattle around in her brain for a while, this would somehow settle down into something she could deal with by the time she was sober again.

Kakashi frowned beneath his mask, his mind turning all that he'd just learned over in his mind. He wasn't sure how he felt about Sakura being Haevyn's vessel; aside from sheer shock value, from what Tenten and Neji had said, it seemed that it didn't come without risk. While one part of him was relieved that they had someone who could face Itachi on his level, another part was worried about Sakura, worried that the cost of a goddess' powers might be higher than even she would be willing to pay.

But one thing was nagging at his mind; the fact that it seemed very convenient for Haevyn that Sakura had been there when she was needed. _Very_ convenient. Would a goddess really have gambled it all on a chance encounter?

And if it wasn't a chance encounter...what was it?

-xxx-

"So how powerful _are_ you?" Naruto asked, watching Sakura manipulate the water in the lake to create slow, rhythmic waves.

"No real idea," Sakura admitted. "I mean, a while back, this was really difficult, but now I feel like I could do it in my sleep. While it's kinda freaky, it's also...well...kinda fun."

To punctuate her statement, she suddenly pushed her hands forward, palms outward. The water in the lake rose into a towering wave that crashed onto the opposite shore as Sakura laughed in delight.

Sasuke had never seen any ninja display such obvious enjoyment of their abilities. But then again, every ninja he'd ever known had to strive for their power – even bloodline abilities needed to be awakened somehow – but in Sakura's case, the power was innate to her. It wasn't really something she struggled to gain and develop, instead, it was like unwrapping presents; she was eager to discover what they were and how they worked.

"Is there anyway to test it?" Hinata inquired, smiling at little at Sakura's joy.

Sakura shrugged. "Not that I know of. After what happened to Tenten, I don't want to try to work through anyone else, so we can't really test it that way. I could try to alter the landscape, but I don't know if I could put it back exactly the way it was afterwards. So all I can really do is-" Sakura abruptly stopped speaking, as she felt like a light had suddenly gone on in her head. "Wait a minute! I could try to manipulate the weather!"

"You can do that?" Naruto said, his eyes wide.

"Sure. You know how it rained two night ago?"

"That was you?" Sasuke asked, interest colouring his voice.

"Yeah, though it was sort of an accident," Sakura said honestly, her eyes already focusing on the sky as she turned her mind and her will to the clouds above them.

-xxx-

Tenten wandered through Konoha after she'd delivered her report to Tsunade and Kakashi. Neji had accompanied her initially, but then he'd had to return to his clan's household to inform them of his return. Tenten wondered if all clan members had to do that; she'd seen Hinata do the same after particularly lengthly missions. Perhaps the Hyuuga council needed an accurate roster of who was in the village at what time or something similar?

She dismissed her thoughts with a shake of her head, looking instead at the people around her. She knew she was staring, but couldn't really help it. She'd grown accustomed to the odd appearance of the various Faerie races, but it was rather surreal to see such patently magical beings walking around Konoha, conversing with humans and examining buildings with great interest.

The brunette did notice something interesting, though; most of the Faerie that had followed she and Neji to Konoha seemed fairly young, at least by Faerie standards. She doubted many of them were over two hundred years old, and some were even a year or two younger than her!

So what did that mean? That the younger Faerie tended to be more open-minded than the older ones? Or that the younger generation were simply more curious about humans, having been denied contact with this realm for their entire lives?

The brunette grinned as she spotted Kiba talking to a young male warg, with Akamaru and the warg's wolves sniffing curiously at each other. She'd spotted Shino with a group of pixes earlier, apparently comparing notes about their insects, and Hanabi had been blatantly staring at the unicorns, obviously intrigued by the silver eyes so alike her own.

The Faerie were very gracious guests, and they were particularly curious about those who claimed to be Sakura's friends. As though they wanted to know what sort of people their goddess had interacted with when she was still ignorant of her true power.

She spotted Hatchling's huge head over the rooftops, and jogged a little ways to find the dragon lounging in the park beside Ino's house. Ino, Shikamaru and Salena were at the dragon's feet, the unicorn wandering around the Daemon, exclaiming loudly over the fact that they had a dragon on their side.

Shikamaru and Ino were looking a little shell-shocked, the sort of stunned realisation that Tenten had begun to associate with learning that your friend was actually a goddess.

It seemed Salena had already told them.

"Hey, guys," Tenten greeted as she drew level with them.

"Oh, hi," Ino answered absently, with the look of someone who wasn't quite sure they weren't dreaming.

Shikamaru nodded in her direction, and Salena grinned at her.

"Can you believe this dragon does whatever Ino says?" the unicorn chirped.

"Her name is Hatchling," Ino corrected automatically, patting Hatchling's scaled nose as the dragon nudged her arm.

"I can't believe how big she got," Tenten admitted, casting an admiring glance over the dragon.

"Shikamaru and Ino have been telling me all about the Daemon attacks," Salena continued. "I must say, you seem to have gotten off very lightly, casualty-wise. There are only a few ruined buildings, and from what they've been saying, you haven't lost many people."

Tenten nodded, only just realising that Salena was right; they hadn't lost many shinobi at all. Certainly not as many as they had during those disastrous chunin exams, and considering they were facing much heavier numbers...why had so few of Konoha shinobi fallen?

"So, do you like Konoha?" she found herself asking.

"I like it a lot more than I thought I would," Salena admitted. "The forest didn't feel very nice, compared to the Otherworld, and I thought it would be much worse here, surrounded by all these row-ads and bill-dings."

She negotiated the words 'roads' and 'buildings' like they were words in a foreign tongue. Which for her, Tenten supposed they were – after all, the Otherworld had been nothing but a vast expanse of land and sky, no artificial constructions in sight.

"But this..." the unicorn sighed, as though savouring the air. "This feels like I'm in the Otherworld. I feel the same sense of safety and shelter...as though I'm protected by something greater than me."

Her words caught Shikamaru's attention like a fish snagged on a hook. Konoha felt different to the surrounding forest? Did that mean there was some indefinable difference between Konoha and the forest surrounding it; some difference that only magical beings could sense?

But what difference? More people lived in Konoha, true, but how could that affect it? No one living in Konoha used Faerie magic, except for Sakura...

Was that it? Did Konoha feel different to Salena because it was the village itself that had been Sakura's home, not the forest? Had Sakura's as-yet-untapped goddess powers somehow – over many, many years – leaked into the very stones and earth of the place she inhabited?

Sakura had spent all of her adult life and much of her childhood defending the village...was it possible her magic still lingered in it, and her desire to protect its inhabitants somehow influenced battles waged in the village itself? If that was true, it would go a long way toward explaining their mysterious ease in surviving combat with Daemons, and why the ninjas of Suna weren't having similar luck.

-xxx-

Sakura lay back on the grass, feeling a little fuzzy, but smiling triumphantly as she looked at the clouds, deliberately sculpted into various shapes, with a light rain misting down.

"Are you tired?" Naruto asked, leaning over her.

"Not exactly..." Sakura struggled to explain what she didn't really understand herself. "It's more like I feel...stretched somehow...like I'm not all there. But it's probably just a result of having my essence come into contact with that of Haevyn's."

"It's raining," Sasuke commented in a tone of disapproval.

"If it bothers you, _you_ make it stop," the medic grumped.

"You're annoying," Sasuke muttered, and Sakura was a little surprised; he hadn't trotted out that old phrase in a very long time.

Even Sasuke was a little surprised at what he'd said; it had just popped out, almost on reflex. Years ago it would have gotten him a hurt look, maybe even a hint of tears, but now, Sakura simply grinned as though they were sharing some sort of private joke.

"Yeah, and you piss me off too, Sasuke," she tossed back cheerfully. "But we manage to live with each other all the same. Anyway, this controlling-the-weather thing will get easier in no time, you see if it doesn't!"

-xxx-

"That was quick," Tenten commented when Neji drew level with her on Konoha's main road. "The clan didn't want a report?"

"The council members were more concerned about the unicorns currently inhabiting the village," Neji said, a note of contempt in his tone. "They are eager to make sure we aren't being replaced."

Tenten blinked. "That's stupid," she said bluntly. "The Faerie are only here to help us against the Daemons; as soon as all this is over, they'll be back in the Otherworld."

Neji shrugged dismissively. "Apparently a lot of the more traditional clans are concerned about this sudden influx of beings with powers that are virtually the same as theirs. They fear they will become redundant should the Faerie gift another family with those abilities."

Tenten snorted. "Haven't they had a look around? The Faerie are friendly, yeah, but I don't think they're ready to start handing out powers to random humans."

"They might gift some powers to you," Neji pointed out. "After that incident with the Daemons, most are rather in awe of you."

Tenten found herself grinning at the semi-compliment. "Actually, after that little stunt with Sakura's powers I think most of them are of the opinion I don't need their power. They must have missed the part where I was so sick afterwards you had to carry me to the camp."

She thought of asking Neji about the kiss on her forehead, but decided against it. She'd probably imagined it anyway.

Neji was frowning, as though she'd said something that displeased him. Remembering his earlier grievances, Tenten guessed, "Still pissed at Sakura?"

"She should not have done that if she knew it was going to hurt you."

"Let it go, Neji," Tenten laughed. "She warned me it would pack a punch, and she healed me afterwards, didn't she? And I'm sure she didn't mean for it to be that bad..."

"You assume she healed you, and you assume she didn't know," Neji corrected. "You have no confirmation this is true."

"I suppose I don't, but I trust her."

Neji snorted. Tenten shook her head and gave it up as a lost cause, though she did wonder why Neji seemed unable to get past it.

"Anyway, Salena and Ino seem to be getting along fine, but I suppose their friendship with Sakura gave them some common ground," Tenten informed him. "Salena also seems pretty fascinated by Hatchling...but then again, most Faerie are."

Neji gave something akin to an affirmative grunt.

"I think she told Shikamaru and Ino about the whole Sakura-is-a-goddess thing," Tenten went on. "They seemed to be taking it well. I mean, they looked pretty shaken, but who wouldn't be? Even Lady Tsunade and Kakashi seemed pretty shocked."

"Hn."

Tenten wasn't put off by Neji's responses. She knew if he really didn't want to listen to her, he'd just walk away. "Do you think Sakura's training is going alright? I mean, her power can totally blast away Daemons, so there's nothing to worry about on that front, but Itachi's a different story."

Tenten frowned, remembering her encounter with the god of destruction. Remembering the feeling of utter despair in the face of a malicious, evil power far greater than her.

As though picking up on her distress, Neji rested a surprisingly gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure she'll be fine."

-xxx-

Clouds boiled and spun in the sky above them at Sakura's silent command, and as Cohen watched, she raised her hand and fisted it, bringing the clouds into the twisting spiral of a tornado about to touch down...

Sakura relaxed her fist and banished the cyclone almost as soon as it had appeared.

Cohen smiled. He could feel Sakura's powers in the air like a heavy mist, and beneath them the strange tang of something else, something decidedly _more_.

With each passing day, each use of her power, Sakura came that much closer to merging with Haevyn.

"Gods..." came a soft whisper from behind him.

Cohen turned. Mikiko stood at the edge of the forest, staring open-mouthed at the figure of her daughter on the hilltop, her arms moving slowly as the storm danced to her will.

"Her title was certainly correct," Cohen commented as Sakura flicked her hand to the side, causing a bolt of lightning to streak across the sky. "The land welcomes her as progeny; part of it, and yet apart from it."

"She's _my_ daughter," Mikiko said firmly, even though the Faerie Lord could tell Sakura's display was unnerving her.

"But she's more than just your daughter, isn't she?"

Mikiko bit her lip, staring at her child. She'd declined to go to Konoha with the other Faerie in favour of staying and attempting to rally those remaining in the Otherworld. This was a difficult task as all Faerie with even a bit of sympathy towards them were now in Konoha, but long odds had never stopped Mikiko before, and they wouldn't now.

And truthfully...she'd wanted to remain with Sakura, even though her mind still reeled when she thought of Sakura as Haevyn. When she thought of the girl she'd given birth to as the physical incarnation of her goddess.

She probably would have dwelt on that thought to an unhealthy extent, but it made her head and her heart hurt, so most of the time she simply tried not to think about it. Maybe eventually it would settle down into something she could accept.

"I'm thinking of teaching her shapeshifting," Cohen said conversationally. "If she is going to merge with Haevyn, she should learn how to impose her will on her essence, how to change and shape it to suit her desires. But I must admit, I'm a little unsure how she will take to it."

"But her powers-"

"Are astonishing, yes, but I speak of her essence, Treesinger. Daughter of the Land may be half-Faerie, but she is half-human, too. Her Faerie heritage should ensure she changes her shape with ease, but her human blood is a 'wild card', as humans say; who knows what it will do?"

Cohen gave a bitter smile. "And it's not as though we have any previous examples to base our expectations on. Even if there had been another half-Faerie before her, Haevyn's powers within her introduce a thousand new variables."

For a moment, the Faerie Lord considered this. He wondered why, of all the possible vessels in the Otherworld and the human realm, Haevyn had chosen a half-Faerie. He could understand why she would have had difficulty getting a human to contact her...but why not choose a Faerie? Surely a full-blood Faerie would have been a better choice? They'd have been experienced enough in magic to know what they held within them, their more malleable essence would have made the merging a lot simpler...

So why had Haevyn chosen a half-Faerie?

Dismissing the question as one to be pondered on later, the Faerie Lord left Mikiko at the edge of the trees and strode towards the small figure with the distinctive pink hair of the sakura nymphs, but who was not a nymph herself.

"Daughter of the Land?"

Sakura turned to Cohen, the storm she'd summoned vanishing as swiftly as it had appeared. "Oh, hey, what's up?"

When she spoke like that – like a woman barely out of her teen years – the Faerie Lord could almost forget what she was. Almost. She might not have fully merged with Haevyn, but ever since the goddess' awakening, there had been an air of magic about her, a whisper of power he could never comprehend.

Apparently he'd taken too long in answering her, because when Cohen came out of his thoughts Sakura was giving him a strange look and speaking herself to fill the silence.

"Actually, I've been meaning to ask you something..." she trailed off, and Cohen nodded encouragingly, trying not to think about the goddess that slept inside her, trying not to let that one piece of knowledge colour all his interactions with her.

"Well, I've been thinking about what I've been doing, this whole gradual merging stuff, and it got me thinking about what Itachi did to merge with Skwall." She shrugged a little. "It seems that he had a lot more hassle with it – he had to die, for one, and it had to be done in a very specific way..."

"You're wondering why he had to go through such a ritualistic merging, while yours is more a case of practice?" Cohen summarised.

"Yeah...so why? Or don't you know?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say it was because Skwall's vessel was human. Because he had no intrinsic link to the Elseworld, he had no way of bonding with Skwall without such complexities. On the other hand, you are half-Faerie, and so already have Otherworld magic within you, providing an easier path for Haevyn's essence to merge with your own. If Skwall's vessel had been half-Daemon, perhaps he could have done what you are doing now, but Skwall's simple gift of power to his clan was not enough to provide a connection of that magnitude."

"Oh," Sakura said quietly, digesting the idea. "But from what I understand, when Itachi died, he merged with Skwall immediately. If Skwall couldn't merge with him while he was alive, why could he do it so quickly once Itachi was dead."

"Faerie souls are more malleable than humans," Cohen repeated. "But there is nothing more malleable than a soul that lacks a body. Without any physical form to anchor to, it is the equivalent of a blank piece of paper – if another soul tries to manipulate or merge with it, it will meet no resistance."

"Oh."

"Speaking of merging," Cohen began, taking advantage of the segue provided to him. "I believe you should attempt to shapeshift. If you are to merge with Haevyn's essence, it will benefit you to practice altering your own essence."

"If you say so," Sakura muttered dubiously, thinking of what the Gate Keeper had said about shapeshifting. "What do I do?"

"Firstly, I would recommend you try to shift into a wolf," Cohen instructed. "They are social, pack-oriented mammals, so their basic mindset and instincts wouldn't differ as much from a human's as, say, a snake's."

"Okay, try to change into a wolf," Sakura repeated, a hint of anxiety in her voice. She tried to ignore the tang of adrenaline on the back of her tongue; a mixture of excitement and nervousness at the prospect of changing shape.

"It's hard to explain exactly what you must do to change shape," Cohen admitted. "It comes so naturally to most Faerie, I've never actually had to instruct someone in it before."

"Give it your best shot – it's not like I'm in a position to judge."

"Try to feel...yourself...or at least, your essence. Then you must will the essence to change. Imagine yourself becoming a wolf...picture yourself shedding your human shape like a set of old clothes."

Cohen watched as Sakura's eyes closed and her brow furrowed. It took longer than he'd expected, but as he watched her features and limbs began to shift – slowly at first, but then gaining speed – to those of a canine.

Within ten minutes, Cohen was staring down at a pure white wolf with piercing emerald eyes. Sakura's eyes.

Though the human clothes that clung to the wolf's form made the situation look rather comical. Cohen noted with interest and more than a hint of puzzlement that her clothes hadn't shifted with her, unlike a shapechanging Faerie. Perhaps her human blood meant she was unable to will the clothes to transform along with her?

He was given no time to think on it, as Sakura only held the shape for a moment before she began to change back.

But to Cohen's confusion, she appeared distressed. Her eyes were wide, her breath was coming fast and hard, and while that could have been taken for excitement and elation, there was real fear on her face.

"Is it meant to feel...like you're about to lose yourself?"

"What?" Cohen asked sharply.

Still looking rather shell-shocked, Sakura spoke slowly, "It felt like I was barely there...as though if I lost concentration for even a moment, everything that made me Sakura would cease to exist. Like I was spread too thin, and I only just managed to pull myself together again."

Cohen understood. When he shapeshifted, he was capable of holding onto himself...but Sakura's description of her experience told him that her human blood was coming into play, making her essence more rigid and set than that of a Faerie.

Perhaps that was another reason why she was having so much trouble merging with Haevyn.

"Hey, what's this?" Sakura asked, sounding more puzzled than frightened now, tugging on a lock of her hair.

It was then that Cohen noticed that Sakura's hair was filled with leaves. She finger-combed them out absently, still staring at the lock of hair that had a twig twisted in it.

Except, as Cohen looked closer, he realised that the twig wasn't twisted in her hair...it was growing out of it. The strands looked normal until your eyes reached about half-way down, and then the individual hairs moulded together and tinted brown, and a little lower, they took on the consistency of wood, complete a few green leaves growing from the end.

Sakura dropped it, letting the twig dangle, flicking it with her fingers. She seemed more curious than scared, but Cohen supposed if you'd almost lost yourself, there wouldn't be much else that could scare you.

But as the Faerie Lord watched, the twig seemed to unravel, turning back into hair once more.

"Any ideas?" Sakura asked, running her fingers through the pink strands as though to check they had really changed back.

"It may be that your true form is a sakura tree," Cohen said slowly. "And the only reason you haven't assumed it is because your human blood makes your essence so rigid. If so, it's likely that taking on that form is automatic if your essence is threatened or tampered with. So, if you are ever completely unable to pull your essence back together, it is likely you will simply become a sakura tree until you can. Which," he continued with a touch of humour, "Could be anything from two hours to two centuries, so I wouldn't recommend it."

Sakura nodded vaguely, apparently still trying to absorb the shock that shapeshifting had wrought on her.

"So, no shapeshifting," she said at last. "Any other suggestions?"

Truthfully, Cohen was beginning to run out of ideas. Sakura could manipulate the weather and the landscape with ease; there wasn't anything else to try that could bring her in closer contact with the goddess...unless...

"You could try to merge with the goddess by will alone," the Faerie Lord began. "Instead of trying to ease into the merging, you could attempt it all at once. It may not work – at least, not at this stage – but it will allow you a deeper contact with Haevyn's essence."

"Okay..." Sakura took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Cohen watched her, taking note of the furrowed brow and her set mouth as she struggled to reach for the essence of the goddess she housed within her body.

All power must be paid for; that was one of the first things Cohen learned about the world. For most ninja, the price was hard work. For those with bloodline abilities or family jutsus, it was to be sought after and hunted, their secrets a prize for anyone eager for power.

For Sakura, it was to risk losing her very identity.

Sakura wasn't Haevyn's first vessel, nor was Itachi Skwall's. Both had taken vessels before, both had clashed before...but it had been nothing like this. For one, Haevyn's vessels were always Faerie who felt Skwall rising in power, and then went to the Deepest Well to eat of the white peach and offer themselves as potential vessels. Skwall's vessels were the more intelligent Daemons, who ate of the black peach and offered themselves as tools to their destructive god.

Skwall and Haevyn had clashed before. They would rise, take vessels, do battle...and invariably, they would stalemate and – having expended too much magical energy – return to the tree in the Deepest Well in the closest thing the gods had to a dormant form, each making their respective fruit whole again, waiting for the next vessel.

But never before had they chosen to take a vessel that was not of their world (Sakura was half-Faerie, yes, but only half). Never before had their vessels been so perfectly designed and tailored to suit their needs. Never before had the entire fruit been devoured, not merely a portion taken (it had been one of the reasons why so many Faerie refused to believe that Sakura was Haevyn's vessel or that Skwall had risen again; because they were used to some of the fruit remaining behind when the gods took a vessel).

To the Faerie Lord, this felt ominously like an earth-shaking, all-or-nothing clash the likes of which the realms had never seen.

And he was painfully aware of how unprepared for it Sakura was. The previous vessels of Haevyn had never needed coaxing to merge with the goddess essence within themselves, nor had they needed practice or training to hone their abilities. But then again, they had been Faerie, magical beings already long-accustomed to their abilities, not a recently unsealed half-nymph who had never truly plumbed the depths of her own powers.

And none of them had been able to manipulate the weather. To Cohen, this was only further proof that Sakura had been granted a far larger portion of Haevyn's essence than the goddess' previous vessels; in fact, it was likely she had been infused with all of it.

Which meant that not only was Cohen inexperienced in attempting to teach someone how to tap into Haevyn's power, he also had little previous knowledge to base off of. He'd seen the previous vessels 'in action', so to speak, but he'd never seen anyone wield the kind of power Sakura possessed.

He didn't think there was really anything he could teach her. He didn't even know if this was something you could learn, or if it was merely a matter of reaching inside to tap that well of power, and then using it as you willed.

Cohen was beginning to realise that when it came to Haevyn, he didn't know much of anything, and he suspected Sakura shared his ignorance.

And if they were both equally uncertain as to what to do, the Faerie Lord foresaw difficult times ahead of them.

Sakura broke off...whatever it was she'd been doing...blinking hard, looking down at her body as if she were not quite sure it was hers.

"I felt something for a minute," she explained, still examining her hands as though they could explain everything. "I'm not sure what I did, but I knew I was doing _something_. But then it just slipped away again."

Cohen sighed. He was not surprised. "Well, then I suppose you could-"

He broke off when Sakura shut her eyes again. "What are you doing?"

Sakura's eyes opened, and she shot him a blank look. "Trying again...what else?"

After all, Sakura was a kunoichi. No one learned a jutsu the first time it was demonstrated (unless you had the Sharingan), but you practiced, tried again and again, until you finally got it right. The medic wasn't enthusiastic about merging with the goddess, but whenever she thought of the Faerie she had spoken to – the Faerie who had looked at her like she was their messiah – she remembered there were people depending on her.

So, taking a deep breath to center herself, Sakura began again.

-xxx-

"You think we should wake her up?" Hinata asked, glancing at Sakura.

The medic had come back to their campsite looked very tired (though as she said, it wasn't so much a matter of physical exhaustion as it was mental and psychic stress brought on such frequent and extensive contact with Haevyn's essence), had given her friends a very brief explanation of what had happened and what she'd learned that morning, and then promptly laid down on her bedroll and gone to sleep.

Now the sun was starting to set, Hinata was working on a fire, Naruto was picking out the choicest fruits and vegetables from their stash for dinner – swearing that when he got back to Konoha he would eat nothing but ramen for the rest of his life – and Sakura still hadn't awoken.

For a moment, Sasuke weighed the benefits of uninterrupted rest against the benefits of a meal, and decided Sakura should probably be woken up. She could go right back to sleep later, and some sustenance could only help her.

He didn't answer Hinata verbally; he simply stood and strode to the sleeping woman, preparing to rouse her.

Sakura was curled on her side, her arms tucked under her chin and against her chest, her legs bent at the knee and folded close to her body, the blanket tangled around her ankles. Her face wasn't exactly smiling, but there was a feeling of peace about her. She reminded Sasuke of a cat curled up in a patch of sunlight.

For a moment, he seriously considered just walking back to the fire and letting her sleep. But, steeling his resolve, he bent down and touched her gently on the shoulder, shaking lightly.

"Wha..?" Sakura woke quickly, sitting up and rubbing at her eyes. "What's up, Sasuke?"

"Dinner," he said curtly, gesturing to Naruto and Hinata and the fruit they were already eating. Naruto waved enthusiastically, beckoning her over.

"Oh...okay."

She seemed much more aware of herself now, Sasuke noted. Before she fell asleep, she'd looked strangely unfocused, as though she wasn't quite aware of her body. She'd informed them it was due to the strain of continual contact with Haevyn's essence, but she certainly seemed to have recovered now. Perhaps sleep helped to somehow rejuvenate the soul the same way it did the body?

Sakura ate quietly, hardly contributing to the conversation as Naruto and Hinata chattered happily. Her mind kept running over what Cohen had told her, wondering if it was even possible for her to merge with Haevyn. She'd tried to today, and had been met with little success. Just the attempts had made her feel exhausted; not in the physical sense, but in the sense of something that had been pulled too tight, pushed too far...like a match that had been burned down to a tiny cinder. She'd tried drawing on the plants' energy to revive her, but even that hadn't worked.

Yet she'd felt much better after her nap, and made a mental note that from now on, she was going to sleep a little after her practice sessions.

She could now warp the very fabric of the Otherworld, even to the extent that she could control the weather. At first, she'd wondered how she could do this – wasn't it Skwall who was supposed to be the sky god? – but Cohen had explained that the Otherworld was Haevyn's domain, the same way Elseworld was Skwall's. It was one reason why it was better for her to remain in the Otherworld while she struggled to contact Haevyn; she'd find it a lot easier here. In the human world, all she'd be able to control was the land, just as Itachi was only able to control the sky.

Sakura wondered why she insisted on referring to her enemy as Itachi. She'd been told by both Cohen and the Gate Keeper that it was likely Itachi as she remembered him did not exist any longer...but she still found herself unable to refer to him as Skwall all the time. Maybe it was because the physical form was Itachi's, and her mind simply associated her enemy's physical appearance with that name.

Or maybe it was because if she held onto the belief that Itachi was still essentially himself, she could hope that Haevyn's essence wouldn't completely change her.

Sakura sighed, shook her head at her folly, and resumed eating.

-xxx-

Sakura stroked the swan's elegant neck, smiling a little at the feel of slick feathers beneath her fingers. Ever since Itachi's seal had vanished, she'd found animals were strangely tolerant of her; as though they didn't really see her as human anymore, or even as a threat.

When she had awoken that morning, she had been feeling in desperate need of both a bath and clean clothes. So she and Hinata had followed the river that drained into the lake near their campsite, walking into the woods, going deep into the trees until they judged they had some measure of privacy.

While Hinata had been able to wash her clothes while wearing her clean spares, Sakura had been forced to strip to wash hers, and was now swimming in the river while her clothes were hanging over a low branch to dry. Granted, neither she nor her clothes would be very clean, considering they had no soap, but they would be clean_er_.

Sakura was broken out of her reverie when Hinata spoke, gesturing to the swans, "Can I...or will they be scared of me?"

"They'll be fine," Sakura said, talking softly to the swans as Hinata swam closer, preventing them from taking off in alarm.

She wasn't sure exactly how she could do this – she knew the swans couldn't understand her words, but there was obviously something about her speech that stopped them from shying away from Hinata, the same way she'd stopped the deer from bolting at the appearance of Sasuke all those weeks ago. Sakura doubted it was the speech itself; perhaps she was somehow magically calming them as she spoke?

It unnerved her that she didn't know, and so she tried not to think about it.

Hinata grinned as she stroked the swan's back, and Sakura floated on her back for a few moments, letting her sense extend across the forest around them, making sure they weren't going to be interrupted by a wandering Faerie while bathing. She didn't fancy being gawked at while naked, thank you very much.

True, Hinata was with her, but that was different. A lot of missions required overland travel for days on end, sometimes without going near a village, so bathing in a river was hardly new territory to Sakura. And since it was more time-efficient to bathe with other teammates of the same gender, it tended to make ninja somewhat immune to nudity, at least in front of teammates of the same sex.

Sakura sighed softly, closing her eyes and letting her awareness extend beyond the forest, racing across the lake and hills. Cohen had recommended trying this whenever she had some spare time; it was a way of increasing her bond with the land and thus, strengthening her connection to Haevyn.

Her 'training' was progressing slowly, so slowly Sakura was a little worried Itachi himself would attack Konoha before she had a real handle on her powers. Granted, she could now do things most Faerie would never have been able to accomplish if they trained for their entire, centuries-long lives, but she doubted such power would be even a mosquito bite to Itachi.

She'd hurt him before, yes, but that had always been when she was desperate and panicking, unleashing raw power...power that she wouldn't risk using here, where someone else might be hurt. Besides, she didn't think that kind of panic-driven magic would help much, anyway; in her previous encounters with Itachi, it had only been good for one hit. The power lashed out like a triggered mousetrap...and like the mousetrap, couldn't do anything else after that one blow. It was more like a defensive reflex than an actual attack, and Sakura knew she'd need more than that if she wanted to survive a battle with Itachi.

Funny, she was already thinking of preparing to fight a god as though she were training for any other difficult battle. It was really amazing what the human (or in her case, half-human) mind could process and accept, given a little time.

Another worry was that Itachi might somehow sense what she was and attack her – kill her – before she could even hope to present a challenge to him. Even if the Otherworld was supposedly as impenetrable to Itachi's senses as the Elseworld was to hers, Sakura still couldn't believe Itachi hadn't figured out that she was Haevyn's vessel.

She could understand why Cohen, her mother, and even the rest of the Faerie hadn't suspected a thing; as far as they were concerned, both Haevyn and Skwall had vanished. But Itachi had known he was Skwall's vessel, even if no one else had. Surely he must have suspected Haevyn would have found a vessel, too?

So, even after she hurt him twice – when no one else had managed to so much as scratch him – why had he never suspected that vessel might be her?

But maybe...maybe Itachi assumed that because he came from Konoha, he would have noticed if Haevyn's vessel dwelt there. Sakura supposed the idea had merit; Itachi probably could have sensed Haevyn's power within her if she hadn't been sealed almost immediately afterwards.

Maybe that was why he was attacking Konoha so intensely; he expected no real opposition, believing Haevyn's vessel to be somewhere else.

Or maybe he still harboured a measure of resentment towards Konoha, and simply wanted it destroyed first, who knew?

Sakura huffed a little, still extending her awareness across the Otherworld. She didn't think she'd ever tire of this particular exercise; there was something so freeing about opening her mind to the world around her, and feeling her awareness expand across the land like a slowly unfurling blanket was simply indescribable.

She was aware of the swans floating on the river beside her, their webbed feet stroking gently through the water to propel them along. Even though her eyes were closed, she knew there were fish darting through the river beneath her. She could sense the woman swimming next to her, and if she concentrated, she could feel each beat of Hinata's heart.

Sasuke and Naruto were still at the campsite, having a half-hearted argument. Sakura didn't really pay attention to what they were arguing about; it was probably rather petty, anyways. She'd long-since given up trying to intervene in such verbal fights; these arguments were practically how they showed their affection for each other.

Sakura felt the slight ripple of magical energy that was a group of Faerie, and nearly smiled when she realised her mother was among them. Probably trying – yet again – to persuade and convince some more over to their side, but the medic didn't think much of Mikiko's chances.

"Sakura?"

The half-nymph blinked, started out of her reverie, realising that Hinata had climbed out of the river and was already drying herself off. Sakura followed suit, checking her clothes to make sure they were dry. While the cloth was still a little damp at the hems, Sakura donned it anyway; she didn't want to wander back to camp in nothing but a towel.

"Come on," Sakura said to Hinata when they were both dressed. "Let's go back to the camp before Sasuke and Naruto burn it down or something."

Hinata giggled and followed her as they set off along the river.

-xxx-

Mikiko watched as Sakura perched on top of one of the highest trees in the forest, her arms extended towards a flock of birds overhead. As the nymph watched, the birds descended to land in the branches around her daughter, called by her magic.

Her daughter, and at the same time... her goddess.

Sakura nymphs did not reproduce via pregnancy and birth as unicorns, wargs and pixies did. Because their true forms were trees, reproducing involved seeds being imbued with magic by two nymphs and then planted. The resulting saplings were the nymph children, unable to take on a human form until they were at least five years old.

Because trees were self-sufficient, and because so much of Faerie magic was instinctive, tree nymphs rarely formed any sort of meaningful, lasting bonds with their children. Their offspring didn't need any care on the parents' part, and rarely required any guidance.

Mikiko was the first nymph to ever experience pregnancy, and the first to ever really raise a child. She thought it explained why she had drifted away from many of her nymph friends, finding new bonds with unicorns, wargs and pixies. Because they knew what it was to feel a life growing inside your body, to care for a tiny being that was completely dependent on your care, to watch it grow and stumble towards maturity and independence...and as such, they could understand the pride in her voice when she spoke of her daughter, and the unconditional love she bore her family.

Mikiko could admit her sense of the world had been shaken when she learned Sakura was Haevyn's vessel. Her love for her daughter had remained, but for days she had been wrestling with the idea that she had never truly known Sakura. A mother was meant to know her child better than anyone in the world...so why had she been so oblivious when it came to Sakura?

Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she'd known her child was different; her unique heritage meant she couldn't be anything else. But she'd never really known _how_ different. She'd watched butterflies land in Sakura's palm when she was a baby, and never thought they might be landing there because she'd wanted them to. She'd watched Sakura stare for hours at birds or cats and never thought it was anything but childish curiosity. Sotaro had told her about the mysterious illness that began the night of the Uchiha massacre, and she'd never thought it was anything more than a particularly nasty virus. Sakura had wandered off during her last childhood visit to the Otherworld, and Mikiko had never thought anything of the fact that she was absent at the same time Haevyn vanished.

She'd sealed Sakura's Faerie blood and powers without ever suspecting the depth and scope of what she was locking away. When the seal weakened, she'd seen that Sakura's abilities extended beyond that of a sakura nymph, but had thought it was simply a result of mixing human and Faerie blood. She'd heard from her daughter's own lips that she'd hurt Skwall, the Faerie Lord had practically shoved the fact that her child was far more powerful than anyone suspected in her face...and she still hadn't connected the dots.

If she'd missed something like this...what else about her child had she missed?

As Mikiko watched, Sakura directed the tree's branches to bend downwards, forming a sloping line of smooth wood that reached to the ground.

To the nymph's surprise, Sakura didn't walk down; she slid instead, laughing like a five year old in a playground. She had picked up so much speed by the time she hit the ground that she was forced to roll with the impact, tumbling through the leaf litter, rolling over several times until she righted herself, her clothes rumpled and her hair tangled.

Another wild laugh, and then Sakura gained her feet again, patting dirt from her clothes and picking leaves from her hair. The branches she'd slid down bent back into place with a soft groan of wood.

"Sakura?"

The half-nymph jumped, spinning around to face Mikiko, her face flushing as she obviously wondered if her mother had seen her childish display. Mikiko was rather surprised Sakura hadn't already sensed her presence, but perhaps her magical senses weren't yet as automatic as chakra detecting.

"Hey, Mum," Sakura said, apparently sufficiently recovered from her shock to greet the nymph. "Haven't seen you for a while – how's the recruiting going?"

"Horribly," Mikiko said bluntly. "All our friends, allies, and believers left with your friends, so I'm making absolutely no headway with those left behind."

She didn't want to admit that she'd deliberately delayed talking with her daughter since they'd learned that she was Haevyn's vessel. She now felt ashamed of her behaviour, but she'd been terrified of finding out that the goddess' presence was somehow changing who her daughter was...or even worse, finding out that in spite of the closeness she felt to her child, she'd never really known who Sakura was.

But seeing Sakura slide down from the tree like an energetic toddler instead of a twenty year old woman served to drive home a realisation that had been slowly building in Mikiko's mind for days. An ancient goddess would never abandon her dignity and presence to let loose and unwind in play...but Sakura certainly would.

No matter that Haevyn dwelt in her body, Sakura was still Sakura. Mikiko hadn't seen Haevyn within her, not because she didn't know her daughter, but because Haevyn had deliberately hidden to ensure Sakura's safety.

"So how has your 'training' been faring?" Mikiko asked.

"I think it's been going pretty well," Sakura mused, sitting down and leaning her back against a nearby tree. "I mean, I can't shapeshift, so I'm trying to do things like calling animals or controlling the weather to contact Haevyn's essence, but I'm not having much luck. I seem to get close when I just try to will the merging, but even then..."

Sakura shrugged, frowning slightly.

Mikiko sat down beside her and draped a comforting arm over her child's shoulder. "I'm sure it's just a matter of time. Just don't force it. After all," Mikiko gave a little laugh, "It's not like you were designed to be a goddess' vessel."

She had meant her words to be comforting, but for some reason, Sakura's frown deepened, her eyes becoming shadowed as some dark thought passed through her mind like a cloud passing across the sun.

Mikiko was about to ask what was wrong when Sakura suddenly leaned into her, resting her head on her mother's shoulder and sliding her arm around Mikiko's waist like a child seeking comfort. Surprised and more than a little worried, the nymph nevertheless understood that whatever was disturbing Sakura wasn't something she was willing to talk about. Not yet.

So she tightened her hold on Sakura, letting the medic know that she was there for her, no matter what.

Sakura might be her goddess, but she was her daughter first.

-xxx-

Sakura knew she was close; she could practically feel Haevyn's essence hovering just out of reach, ready to subsume her if she pushed just a little further...

She'd tried before, but she'd always found some part of herself flinching back, cringing away from contact with the goddess. She didn't know if it was an echo of the fear and pain she'd felt when she'd sensed the Uchiha murders, or if it was simply her mind and soul rejecting something that threatened them. Either way, she had never quite managed to merge completely since the Binding.

But Sakura was determined to change that today. In spite of her fear, in spite of the horrible, crushing knowledge that this could alter her very self forever...she was going to do it. She was going to merge with Haevyn.

Or at least, she was going to try very hard.

Sakura could admit she hadn't really been putting all her effort into merging with Haevyn before. She'd been too confused by her powers, too frightened by the idea of her soul being erased by the goddess', and at the faint possibility that her powers could drive her mad as they'd once come so close to doing. But now she had a better understanding of her powers, and...it wasn't that she'd gotten over those fears, merely that she'd decided now was the time to face them.

If she didn't, they'd just fester in the back of her mind, growing and growing until she could never muster the courage to attempt the merging again. Better to grit her teeth, tell herself she was saving her friends...and just hurry up and do it.

Willing herself to merge with Haevyn was rather like trying to immerse yourself in freezing water with a straight face. It wasn't pleasant, but you tried to force yourself to accept the sensation.

She could feel some part of her beginning to panic, some deeply ingrained instinct of self-preservation urging to back out, to turn away, to not risk herself. The danger might be to her mind and soul instead of her body, but the instinct to survive was the most ancient; ingrained into every species in the world, hearkening back to the time of the single-celled amoebas.

Sakura took a deep breath as she trembled on the edge of the abyss, trying to force herself further, deeper...if it had been her physical body, she would have had no trouble, but it was hard to fight against the screaming, desperate urge to save yourself on a purely mental level.

But she had expected this, and made a contingency plan. She tried not to focus on _how_ she would merge with Haevyn (and what would happen), but instead tried to think of _why_ she was doing this.

She didn't really care about the Otherworld, or the human realm as a whole, or even the land itself, as Haevyn's vessel was probably meant to and as Cohen was probably expecting her to. Sakura's concerns were far smaller than an entire world.

She pictured her father's smile when he returned to the house after a long mission. She thought of her mother's smell when she hugged her. She remembered Naruto and Hinata walking through the village holding hands and smiling gentle, secret smiles at each other. She dwelt on the sounds of Ino and Shikamaru arguing over Hatchling. She relived Tenten's pleased grin when Neji insisted on returning to Konoha with her. She remembered Kakashi's vow to protect them on their first mission outside of the village. She thought of the proud gleam in Tsunade's eye when she healed her first patient. She recalled Lee's bold declarations of affection, and Sasuke's hand on her neck as he tried to ease the knots from the muscles.

_'This is what I'm trying to protect,'_ she told herself. _'This is what I will fight to preserve.'_

And then suddenly, astonishingly, Sakura felt Haevyn's essence somehow slide into alignment with hers. Not merging, exactly, but joining and sharing.

Cohen, watching from a short distance, knew in an instant that something had changed. The air rippled suddenly, and the earth beneath his feet seemed to shiver. There was a sudden sense of power around him, as though everything were suddenly charged and alive, sparking with magic. In spite of this, the Faerie Lord found himself relaxing, his breath coming easier in his lungs as he was struck by the sense that someone far more powerful than him was watching over him, protecting him and all of the world around him.

Sakura was still sitting in the clearing, but her hair had lengthened once more to brush her waist, and her red clothing had vanished, replaced with a flowing white gown identical to the one she'd worn during the Binding.

It did not escape Cohen's notice that with the long hair and gown, Sakura was an exact replica of the image of her he'd seen in his dream. It seemed Haevyn did indeed have a sense of the dramatic.

Slowly, Sakura stood, her eyes roving her surroundings almost hungrily, as though she were seeing everything anew. Her eyes were a brilliant, vivid green with flecks of brown, yellow and blue appearing and disappearing like gems flashing in the sunlight. The Faerie Lord looked away from those eyes, knowing that if he looked into them for any length of time, the shifting landscapes contained within would mesmerize him.

Sakura felt different, and as she looked down at herself she realised she looked different. The cacophony of sensation came rushing in as it had at the Binding, but it felt...manageable, somehow, this time.

Sakura breathed, and she felt the land breath with her. She raised her head to look at the Faerie Lord, and didn't recognise the voice that came from her lips.

"**I think I did it..."**


	18. Exorcism

**Chapter 18**

**Exorcism**

At first, Sakura thought she'd been wrong; that this bonding with Haevyn wasn't as frightening as she'd thought. But that was only for a moment. Like a tickle at the back of her mind, Sakura slowly felt something begin to intrude on her thoughts; a cold, calculated way of thinking. A way of thinking that didn't include friendship and affection; something that didn't see Mikiko as a kind mother whom she loved, but simply as a powerful sakura nymph who would die for her in an instant. And this..._thing_...didn't feel sorrow at the prospect, merely an acknowledgment of how that could benefit Sakura's cause.

Sakura had been hoping she could talk to the rest of the Faerie like this, but was beginning to think she couldn't stomach contact with Haevyn's essence for another second. It was like there was something alien in her mind, something forcing her to see the world and the people around her in terms of what they could do for her, not what they meant to her.

She couldn't help it. Sakura tried to hold on to Haevyn's essence, but her instinctive revulsion for that kind of thinking meant it was slipping through her fingers like grains of sand. The harder she tried to hold it, the more her heart and soul protested, and the faster Haevyn's essence fled from her.

She felt it slip away, the power that had flooded her body vanishing, melting away like an ice sculpture in the summer sun. The sudden deprivation of such power was almost as shocking as its influx, and Sakura staggered, lurching to her knees as though she were about to faint.

Cohen knew instantly that something had gone wrong. He could feel something shift, and then the power that had enveloped the land around him disappeared.

Sakura had fallen to her knees, apparently gasping for breath, and even though her hair was still long and she was still clad in the white gown, the Faerie Lord knew Haevyn was gone. As he watched, Sakura dug the heels of her hands into her eyes, as though trying to blot out some particularly hideous memory. When she rocked back to sit down on the grass and removed her hands, Cohen realised that her expression seemed to be a combination of frustration, fear, and guilty relief.

"I couldn't hold it," she said quietly, and Cohen didn't know if she was talking to him or to herself. "It felt...I couldn't hold it..."

Sakura shivered, and unconsciously rubbed her arms, feeling somehow cold. When she realised she couldn't feel her shirt sleeves, Sakura risked a glance down at her body, hoping her clothes were still there and she wasn't having another episode of nakedness like the one she'd had in the forest all those weeks ago when Itachi shredded her clothes.

The medic found that, yes, she did have clothes on, but no, they weren't the ones she remembered wearing. Apparently when she'd lost contact with the goddess essence, her clothes had failed to change back, just as her hair remained long after it had grown.

For some reason, this struck Sakura as very unfair. If Haevyn was going to mess around with her hair and clothes, the very least she could do was change them back!

"Are you alright?" Cohen asked.

Sakura had to bite her tongue to stem the immediate answer that came to mind. Was she okay? For a moment, she'd been forced to see her own mother as nothing but a pawn, to see everyone she'd ever cared for only in terms of how their powers and abilities could benefit her; of course she wasn't okay!

"Where did my clothes go?" she growled, channeling the anger and fright she felt into indignation at the state of her clothing. "And what happened to my hair? Did it grow long again? It's grown long again, hasn't it...?"

She tried for a rant, she really did; fury was always so much easier to deal with than fear or worry. But her words wound down like a broken clock, slowly sliding into silence.

Cohen seemed to sense that she was teetering precariously on the edge of a black hole of depression, because he left her alone. Probably guessed any question about it would make her explode.

Sakura realised he was worried, but couldn't say anything to reassure him. She just didn't have the strength. She'd just been given a very personal and very immediate introduction to the way a goddess thought, and she was feeling a little inconsiderate.

While she'd been aware that Haevyn's view of the world was very different to hers, she had never wanted to experience it. Because to feel that, to merge with something like that...would turn her into something she never wanted to become.

Sakura slowly rose to her feet and made her way back to the campsite in silence, feeling ill in a way that had nothing to do with what she'd eaten.

-xxx-

"Hey, Sakura!" Naruto called brightly. "What happened to your clothes?"

Sakura scowled, looking surprisingly grim. "The stupid goddess state made them change and now they won't change back."

"Whoa, you managed to become Haevyn again?" Naruto asked, obviously impressed.

Sakura's contemptuous snort told him what she thought of that. "Yeah, for about a second."

She tried very hard not to remember what that second had been like. Denial had always been her friend.

But the trouble was, it was very hard to maintain after a shock like the one she'd just endured. Maybe it was because she'd allowed herself to hope, just for a moment, that Haevyn's essence wouldn't change her, and the sudden shock back to reality was too much for her bruised optimism to take. For whatever reason, she felt a sensation very similar to the one she'd felt when she'd come so close to crying in Tenten's arms. All the pressure of being considered a goddess, all the worry about her friends in Konoha, the rush to train herself when in fact she had absolutely no idea what she was doing was all coming crashing down around her like a cave-in. Again.

And as before, she had no idea exactly what had triggered it; all she knew was that she was once again heading for a nervous breakdown, with no idea how to stop the ride and get off. Maybe she should give herself a few minutes to calm down...

She tried to sit down, but her gown snagged on her heel and she ended up stumbling down instead of sitting.

"Stupid clothes," she spat, with a lot less venom than she would have liked.

It felt like the straw that broke the camel's back. She didn't know if she was going to start screaming and ranting like a madwoman or just burst into very noisy and embarrassing tears. This was so unfair; this whole situation was unfair! Why couldn't the stupid goddess just shove it and find some other vessel?

A tiny voice in the back of her mind spoke up, in a surprisingly calm tone, _'I wonder what they'll think if I just let go and throw a tantrum like a toddler...'_

"Here."

Sakura's internal monologue disintegrated when Sasuke's voice reached her ears, and he shoved what looked like a bundle of cloth under her nose.

Upon closer inspection Sakura realised they were his spare set of clothes. Why was he handing her his clothes?

She started to ask him that very question, but he interrupted her, "Take them; you can't walk around in that thing."

He was giving her clothes.

Feeling suddenly, inexplicably overwhelmed, certain there were tears gathering in her eyes, she looked up at Sasuke and simply blurted out, "I love you."

She realised that she hadn't said 'thank you' as she'd intended when Sasuke's eyes widened, and Hinata and Naruto went suddenly, ominously quiet.

_'Crap,'_ was all that ran through Sakura's mind. But it was swiftly followed by the more helpful, _'Denial is transparent, roll with it.'_

So she threw her arms around Sasuke's neck and gushed, "You gave me clothes; I love you, I love you!"

"Uh..." Under different circumstances, Sakura would have laughed; Uchiha Sasuke, speechless?

She drew back – rather surprised he hadn't pushed her off already – grinning broadly as though everything had been a big joke.

It might have been a trick of the light, but for a moment she could have sworn Sasuke looked...disappointed? But what did he have to be disappointed about?

Hinata giggled a little. "I saved you some fruit."

"You saved me food?" And then, just to make her previous performance more believable, "I love you, too!"

Hinata smiled, but there was something in her eyes that made Sakura uncomfortable. Something that suggested the Hyuuga knew exactly what was running through her mind.

"Come on, Sakura, I'll help you out of the gown," she suggested gently, taking her hand.

Sakura knew she didn't need help taking the dress off, but understood a subtle request for a private conversation when she heard one, so she allowed Hinata to lead her into the woods, where they ducked behind a convenient thicket so Sakura could dress.

_'On the plus side, I don't think I'm going to break down anymore,'_ Sakura told herself. Strange how at the prospect of accidentally blurting out her feelings to Sasuke her mind had simply swept all her stress and worries to the side so she could deal with the immediate problem. There was some sort of lesson in that, but Sakura couldn't be bothered to figure out exactly what that lesson was.

"There was more to that than just gratitude, wasn't there?" Hinata asked softly as Sakura pulled the pale, flimsy gown over her head. "When you...said that...to Sasuke..."

"Am I really that obvious?" Sakura asked in alarm.

Hinata shook her head. "If I didn't know how you felt, I would have just dismissed it."

Sakura laughed bitterly. "After all these years, you'd think I'd get a clue, huh?"

Sakura had come to think that there was some sort of universal rule in Konoha when it came to their genin teams, at least as far as the females' interactions with the male members went. There was one you'd come to think of as a brother, and the other that you'd become interested in, romantically. There was her and Sasuke (even if her feelings were unrequited, it still counted), Tenten and Neji, Ino and Shikamaru...but she had to admit Hinata was the exception, seeing as she'd fallen for Naruto and not Kiba or Shino.

The medic pulled on the dark shirt, smiling ruefully as it fell almost to her knees. She found herself hoping she would be able to acquire other clothes before she returned to Konoha; the gossips would have a field day if she strolled into the village with the Uchiha crest on her clothes.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Sakura," Hinata chided, reminding Sakura of a similar conversation she'd had with Naruto. "Sasuke is hard to read, but he's fonder of you than most."

"Yeah; because he's my friend, the same way he's Naruto's friend."

"He's a lot more protective of you than he is of Naruto," Hinata pointed out.

The medic snorted. "Probably because he still thinks I need to be looked after."

She pulled on the pants, thankful both that her underwear had survived the transformation, and that Sasuke had a spare belt; she didn't know how she would have kept the pants from sliding off, otherwise.

Hinata was smiling, as though she knew a secret Sakura didn't.

The Hyuuga was blushing lightly, and her voice held a slight stutter when she spoke, reflecting her innate shyness when it came to these kinds of discussion, "Don't despair, Sakura – I s-stuck it out, I was hard-headed and b-blind even when it seemed like Naruto barely kn-knew I existed...and look where it g-got me."

Sakura laughed again. "Well, until you confess your undying love to Naruto, to have him knock you out and leave the village...you've got nothing on me."

Her laughter died, and she grew suddenly serious. "About a year or so after Naruto came back from his training with Jiraiya, I'd notice Naruto watching you. Whether you were training, or eating, or just walking down the street...his eyes seemed to follow you automatically. When he started mentioning to me that you were too good for whatever guy he happened to catch flirting with you...well, that's when I knew there was something going on."

Hinata's flush darkened.

Sakura continued, "But the moment I knew was...do you remember when you were walking past Ichiraku while it was raining, without an umbrella?"

Hinata nodded. "You and Naruto were at Ichiraku, and he ran over to walk me home with his umbrella." Her voice was stronger, and once again all traces of the stutter had vanished.

Sakura grinned in fond remembrance. "What you didn't know was that Naruto had a full bowl of ramen sitting on the counter when he did that; his _first_ bowl of ramen, to be precise."

Hinata's eyes widened as she considered what Sakura must have thought, seeing Naruto dismiss ramen after a long mission simply to walk her home.

"And that's when I knew he was in love," Sakura finished theatrically.

In spite of her raging blush, Hinata giggled again.

"Well, I think we're done here," the medic commented, looking down at herself. "Geez, I'm practically swimming in these clothes; why did Sasuke have to grow so tall anyways?"

The Hyuuga listened to Sakura mutter under her breath as they made their way back to the camp, nipping her tongue to prevent herself from pointing out to the half-nymph that Hinata's spare set of clothes would have been much more suitable and would have fit her much better. Sasuke had to have known that, but he hadn't waited for Hinata to make the offer; he'd handed Sakura his clothes instead.

And Sakura had accepted, though she had to have known the same. And Hinata couldn't help but wonder why.

But she held her tongue and simply watched as Sakura walked barefoot across the grass, the Uchiha fan shifting on her back as she adjusted the ridiculously oversized shirt.

-xxx-

Sasuke was beginning to regret ever offering Sakura his clothes. Hinata would have handed the half-nymph her own spare set, he was certain...so why had he given her his?

But he had, and seeing her wander around the campsite dressed in clothes that so obviously belonged to him was making him feel funny. What was worse was that Naruto seemed aware of his unease; the blonde was grinning at him like a Cheshire cat.

Sakura, for her part, was too busy exclaiming over the material to notice his discomfort. "Wow, this feels so soft! I can see why you wear these all the time!"

She held a part of the collar against her cheek and nuzzled her face into the material, and Sasuke had to jerk his eyes away, fighting a sudden mental image of her nuzzling into the shirt like that while it was still on his body.

Sakura smiled, marveling at the feel of the cloth against her skin. The Uchiha clan must have been really rich to be able to afford this kind of clothing...

Her nose caught a sudden burst of Sasuke's scent; as intense as if she'd been standing barely an inch from him, and she immediately stopped what she was doing as her insides seemed to wobble a little.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked.

"N-Nothing," Sakura stammered, afraid she had been caught. "Why? What makes you think there's something wrong?"

But his next words assured her he was more concerned with her overall mood than with any strange behaviour.

"You didn't seem yourself when you first got back."

Sakura sneaked a look at the white gown, folded neatly at the foot of her bedroll. 'Didn't seem herself'...that was one way to put it. For a moment, she debated with herself, wondering if she should tell her friends...but what harm could it do?

"I merged with Haevyn," she stated. "For a moment. Just a few seconds...I couldn't hold it."

She paused, and silence reigned over the campsite, her friends apparently understanding that she was on the verge of telling them something big, and that they shouldn't push her.

"I couldn't hold it," Sakura repeated. "It felt...bad. It felt..."

Her voice faltered as she remembered that feeling; that cold, unemotional way of thinking, the horrifying indifference of it...

"It felt like I didn't care about anyone anymore," she admitted quietly. "Like Mum, Lady Tsunade, Kakashi, you guys...you weren't my friends, you weren't people I loved anymore...you were just tools I could use-"

She suddenly broke off, shaking her head. Her arms tucked themselves against her stomach, each hand gripping the elbow of the opposite arm as though she were hugging herself, her posture unconsciously defensive.

Sakura opened her mouth, as though she was about to say something, but then seemed to think better of it and closed it, her lips pressing into a thin line. She turned, and began to make her way towards the forest.

"If you don't want to talk about it-" Hinata started, but Sakura interrupted.

"I just want to...to be alone for a while," she muttered, her eyes downcast.

Sasuke scowled to himself, wondering what it was she'd nearly told them. Whatever it was, it was clearly eating her alive.

He thought about going after her, then just as quickly dismissed the impulse. The tense lines of her shoulders and the tightness around her eyes told him pushing her wouldn't get him anywhere.

But strangely, he found he still wanted to follow her.

Sasuke's thoughts broke off when he noticed Naruto trailing Sakura into the trees. "Didn't you hear her, idiot?"

Naruto turned around, and any other comments Sasuke might have made died in his throat. Naruto might have been Konoha's biggest joker, but he had his serious moments; those times when even Sasuke knew to shut up and get out of his way, because Naruto's determination was like a force of nature in and of itself.

The Uchiha could tell by the expression on his teammate's face that now was one of those times.

So he said nothing and simply watched as Naruto caught up to Sakura within the first line of trees.

"Naruto...I think I asked to be alone" Sakura said gently.

"You did," Naruto agreed cheerfully. "But I don't think you really _want_ to be alone. You just figure you have to be because no one else will understand you."

There was a pause while Sakura pondered Naruto's words. "I know I have to merge with Haevyn," she said at last. "The goddess essence is the ultimate power, and the only way to stop Itachi...but it changes me. I don't like what I could become if I use it too much. I know it's something I have to draw on, but at the same time, it's something I don't like to touch."

"Sort of like me and the Kyuubi, huh?" Naruto commented, with a sad smile.

Sakura froze. "I guess I never thought about it like that."

Another sad smile from Naruto. "I'm not saying I understand everything, Sakura; I mean, me turning into the Kyuubi was pretty much everyone's worst nightmare, so no one was pressuring me into it the way they are with you...but I know what it's like to have something inside you that you don't want to be anywhere near. A creature that can turn you into something you don't want to be."

"But it didn't end when the merging broke," Sakura said quietly. "That way of thinking...it lingered before it went, Naruto. It didn't go away as soon as I stopped trying to merge with Haevyn. I think that means that if I merge entirely...then it won't go away...and I'll lose myself to Haevyn."

"I don't think you will," Naruto said softly.

"Oh, yeah? Why not?"

"Well, Ino tried to take you over during the Chunin exams, didn't she?" Naruto pointed out. "But you managed to kick her out. And I don't know about you, but I haven't seen anyone else who was able to resist that technique. You don't have a soul that's easily shoved around, Sakura; even if you do merge with goddess, I think you'll be okay."

Not particularly reassured, but somehow feeling better about it all, Sakura grinned at him. And she let the blonde man draw her into a gentle, protective hug, resting her head against his chest as he stroked her hair comfortingly.

"So don't worry about it, Sakura; I'm sure you're strong enough to hold your own against anything."

"Thanks, Naruto," she whispered into his jacket.

Sasuke watched the pair from the campsite, feeling the slow burn of jealously simmer in his stomach. Sakura never hugged him like that; her embraces were always impulsive and wild, given after a particularly thrilling battle or after hearing some very exciting news. When she hugged him, she was never driven by quiet emotion as she was now when she clung to Naruto.

But then again, Sasuke could admit that his interactions with Sakura were weighed by the memory of his departure, weighed with words thought but never spoken.

When he noticed Hinata watching the two ninjas with a serene expression, his frustration made him say, "Aren't you jealous?"

Hinata stared at him like he was crazy for even suggesting such a thing. "Of course not. What's there to be jealous of?"

Sasuke threw a dark look in the direction of their still-hugging teammates.

Hinata laughed, as though he'd just said something very funny. "Sasuke, they're like brother and sister. Neither of them has any siblings, and after all they've been through, I think it's almost natural that their bond has grown to the point that each fills that role in the other's life. I have no reason to be jealous of Sakura, the same way Naruto would have no reason to be jealous of Neji."

Sasuke snorted, apparently at Hinata, but he was actually berating himself; he should have known better. Of course Hinata wouldn't be jealous; there was nothing for her to envy – she was just as close to Naruto as he was to Sakura, probably closer. It was only he who resented it, and the resentment stemmed mainly from one source; the fact that it could have been him standing there with her, if he hadn't been so cold, if he hadn't been so dismissive...if he hadn't left.

But there was no point to such imaginings, and the futility of it only made it sting deeper.

-xxx-

Sakura lounged in the branches of one of the trees near their campsite, her back against the trunk and one leg dangling off the tree limb, staring wistfully at the stars.

She ran her hand through her chopped hair, wondering how many more haircuts she'd have to receive in the future. Would she even want short hair when she merged fully with Haevyn?

The half-nymph sighed, casting a glance back at her friends; nothing but dark lumps covered by blankets in the moonlight.

They were sleeping, as she was meant to be. As she probably should be. What was she doing up here?

Oh yes, brooding; she remembered now.

If Sakura had learnt one thing during her life, it was that denying your emotions didn't help anything. They simply festered beneath the surface like a growing infection, until the pressure became too much, and you simply exploded.

Sakura was well aware this Haevyn-merging fiasco had her on the verge of an explosion. So while her friends slept, she'd sneaked away from the campsite and climbed a nearby tree, deciding to brood and angst and have one big self-pity party to get it all out of her system. In the morning, she'd probably be as good as new.

Another sigh, and the half-Faerie ran her fingers through the pink hair that had earned her the name Sakura.

And how eerily appropriate both she and Itachi's names had turned out to be. The gods' too, come to that.

Skwall sounded like 'squall', the term for an approaching storm. The fact that Skwall was the sky god and the god of destruction at the same time certainly seemed to fit that.

Haevyn, like 'haven', which meant safety, refuge...protection. The rock that sheltered them from the oncoming storm.

Itachi meant weasel, and weasels had a reputation as blood-drinkers and traitors (though as far as the animals themselves went, it was probably undeserved). And Itachi was nothing if not a traitor; he betrayed his family, his village, even the organisation that took him in, as the Akatsuki bodies had attested to.

As for her own name...the sakura trees were traditionally a symbol of something fragile and brief.

She didn't know about fragile, but her life was certainly shaping up to be brief.

That was the way it had been made to be, after all. From the moment of her birth, Haevyn had ensured she would be raised as the kind of person who would sacrifice everything for her friends. Some part of Sakura was furious that all her life had been manipulated...and another part was simply resigned as she realised she was going to do it anyway; Haevyn did her job well.

But no, that wasn't it. If the manipulation was the answer to everything, then Itachi was innocent; he was simply manipulated by Skwall. But no matter how he had been raised or what kind of life he had lived...it was his choice to go to Skwall. There was always a choice.

_'Many things can point to the path we take,'_ Sakura told herself. _'But it is only ever ourselves that first set our feet upon it.'_

This was swiftly followed by the more light-hearted thought, _'That was pretty deep; I should write that down!'_

In spite of herself, Sakura smiled a little at the idea.

She knew she had a choice; she could refuse to merge with Haevyn, she could run away to some far-flung part of the world that Itachi wouldn't reach until she was old and grey...but she wouldn't. Not because she had to, but because she chose to.

_'Self-sacrificing idiot,'_ rang through her head, and she couldn't help but giggle a little hysterically.

"What's so funny?" came Sasuke's voice from beside her.

Only years of ninja training enabled Sakura not to jump in surprise as she turned to find Sasuke poised to step onto the branch she was sitting on. She moved to make room for him automatically, wondering how she had been so absorbed by her own thoughts that she'd been completely oblivious to Sasuke climbing the tree.

"Nothing really," she replied, shrugging. "Just...thinking."

"About what?"

Sasuke wasn't really surprised when she shot him a suspicious look; he rarely inquired about people's welfare unless they were bleeding out on a mission. But his hunch that there was something Sakura hadn't told them had been eating at him, and when he heard her leave her bedroll in the middle of the night to climb a tree, he'd decided now was as good a time as any to ask her about it. It wasn't like they'd be disturbed.

So, he didn't wait for a reply to his previous question before asking, "What haven't you told us?"

Sakura went stiff, her insides turning to ice. Tenten had figured it out, yes, but after that...she'd thought she was hiding it well, figuring they'd attribute her obvious stress to her shock at the knowledge that she was a goddess and that she had to take on Itachi. She'd never thought it was so obvious that she was carrying a burden none of them knew about. Tenten had figured it out, Sasuke had figured it out...if she hadn't been able to hide it from them, why hadn't Naruto and Hinata spoken up? Then again, they were probably just too worried or too polite to say anything.

Eventually, she thinned her lips and looked away from him, staring out across the forest. "It doesn't concern you."

It was a blatant lie, of course, but she'd had a very stressful day; she was tired, depressed, and she didn't feel up to discussing this with Sasuke, of all people.

"If it's about you, it does." The words were out before Sasuke had really had time to process them; a disturbing occurrence, considering how reticent he usually was.

"And why do you care?" Sakura hissed before she could stop herself. Normally, she wouldn't have such a short fuse, but these were hardly normal circumstances.

There it was again; that strange, unreadable look in Sasuke's eyes. It might be unreadable because she was looking at him with nothing but moonlight to illuminate his face, but something told her it was unreadable because it was an expression she'd never really seen on Sasuke's face before. And for the life of her, Sakura couldn't figure out what it meant.

"Sakura..."

It was his voice that finally did her in. If he'd been angry, or forceful, she could have initiated an argument in which both would throw some nasty remarks but in which he'd never learn a thing. But Sasuke's voice was far softer than she'd ever believed him capable of, and she had to fight against the sudden, bewildering sting of tears.

Because in the deepest reaches of her heart, Sakura wanted to tell someone her secret. Even though it brought nothing but pain and despair, she wanted to be able to unburden herself to someone, anyone. And Sasuke's apparent desire to learn whatever she was hiding was an irresistible temptation.

So she began to talk. If Sasuke was surprised at how quickly she caved, she didn't know it – her eyes were fixed on the ground as she spoke. Sakura told him about the manipulation, about unknowingly becoming Haevyn's vessel when she was eight, about her power being sealed away, then pushed further away by herself after she felt the Uchiha massacre and it nearly drove her mad. She told him about feeling Haevyn's essence invading her at the Binding, and about what she was risking if she were to merge with the goddess.

"And I felt it enhancing parts of me, too. So, I have to wonder what's Haevyn and what's Sakura...I don't really know know where I end and the goddess begins..."

Sasuke didn't say anything for a long time, struggling to process what he'd just learned. He didn't know what to think about Sakura having felt his family's deaths, so he shunted the idea to the side, to be dealt with later. It was clear that Sakura was far disturbed by the idea that her whole life had been a farce, and Sasuke could readily admit that it _was_ a more chilling concept than whatever her powers had made her feel when she was a child.

Sakura didn't seem to have noticed his prolonged silence; she was staring off into the distance, and her eyes were frighteningly blank when she spoke again, "I don't know if any of my life or my self is me, not just what Haevyn made me to be."

Sasuke supposed that was her biggest question. How much of Sakura's personality was shaped by Haevyn, and how much of it lured Haevyn; had Haevyn made Sakura the way she was, or had she chosen her _because_ of the way she was?

"So, that's what's been bothering me," Sakura finished in an exceedingly level tone, as though she was struggling to regain her composure. "Now you know, you can stop pestering me, but _don't_ tell the others! I told you because..."

Sakura realised she had no idea how to finish that sentence. It hung in the air between them for a long moment, before she went on, "But they...they don't need to know."

Bad enough that Sasuke knew, that he now knew that her birth, her life, her very being was for one purpose and one purpose only; to prevent Itachi destroying the human realm and the Otherworld. She didn't want Naruto and the others knowing. Didn't want to shatter their illusions. Wanted them to believe she was herself, not some weapon designed by a goddess years before she was born.

And in some ways, it was to help herself as well. If she didn't tell them, she could push it deep down in the back of her mind and pretend it wasn't actually true, pretend she'd never learned it. But now that she'd told Sasuke, that ugly knowledge was unleashed into her mind like an explosion, demanding to be acknowledged, demanding attention, colouring every action and tainting every thought.

"Haevyn entered you when you were eight, correct?" Sasuke asked suddenly. At her nod, he continued, "And that's when she would have been able to alter your personality to suit her?"

"Yeah, I guess..."

"But before that...before you were eight...did you love your extended family, in spite of what they did to you?"

"Yeah..."

"Then there's your answer," Sasuke said, in the satisfied tone in one who had figured it all out.

"How do you figure?"

Sasuke considered his words for a long time before he said, "Haevyn may have guided you, but in the end that's all she was; a guide."

The Uchiha firmly believed what he was saying. Though Haevyn could influence events in Sakura's life, she couldn't truly determine how she would react to them. Her extended family's attitude could have left her bitter and brittle instead of sad but strong. Her connection to the world around her could have made her despairing and cynical instead of open and compassionate.

In the end, the final decision was Sakura's, and she made of herself what she would.

Sakura gave a soft, sniffling laugh. Sasuke's words had been cryptic and hadn't really convinced her of anything, but for some reason, they had made her feel better.

Sasuke looked on as the half-nymph laughed, apparently finding humour in the situation, though he had no idea how. He thought it a little surreal; that after revealing to him she was nothing but a pawn in some goddess' game, and being the recipient of his inadequate, inexperienced comfort...she could still laugh.

He wondered how they'd look to an observer. What would someone would think if they walked in on them now; a tall man sitting motionless in the tree beside a small woman clad in oversized clothes whose eyes sparkled over-brightly in the moonlight, but who still had the strength to laugh?

But then again, Sakura was nothing if not strong.

If people could be said to forge themselves from the events in their life, then Sasuke knew he had tried to build himself up fast and furious, tall and imposing and powerful, higher and farther than anyone else...but hate had eaten at him like termites, eaten and infected until he'd been riddled with holes and so rotten and so brittle he was surprised he'd been able to stand up. And then Naruto and Sakura came along, and they'd punched and kicked and broken off the rotten pieces and tried to plug and glue up the holes. He didn't think they'd ever fill them in entirely, but they'd done enough. Enough so he could stand, enough so he wasn't quite so brittle.

Sakura was different. She hadn't rushed to height; instead, she'd concentrated on the foundation, building herself up slowly and carefully. She hadn't rushed to be tall and imposing, and when a crack formed she hadn't simply overlooked and dismissed it and kept going; she'd glued and pressed and prodded until it was filled in.

And _then_ she'd continued building. Until she was strong; powerful, yes, but strong as well. Not brittle as he'd been, but able to stand the storms and sorrows, to take emotional blows that would have crippled him without a flinch.

Anyone could have power...few people had strength.

"But in all seriousness, Sasuke, don't tell anyone else," Sakura said severely. "It's not that I want to shut them out, it's just that...I think they'd be happier not knowing."

Sakura was aware it probably wasn't her decision to make, but so many decisions had been made for her lately that she felt rather desperate to hang onto the choices she had. And she didn't want the others to know...not yet.

For Sasuke's part, he could understand her point of view. The idea that Sakura's entire life – indeed, _all_ their lives – were nothing but complex moves on some sort of cosmic chessboard was a lot to swallow; the mind baulked at it. The dark-haired man had a feeling the concept would be churning in his gut and keeping him up at night for many weeks to come...

But at least he knew why Sakura was so tense, knew the meaning of the deep, wounded look in her eyes, as though she had been bleeding from some hidden injury. She had been; bleeding and suffering in silence because she refused to burden them with the terrible weight of her knowledge.

"I feel better," the half-nymph sighed.

And Sakura meant it; she really did feel better. There was something about stepping back from your fears and staring them dead in the face that was very cleansing. For the first time since this whole mess began, Sakura had accepted what she was going to do; not just known...but _accepted_.

"I'm going to merge with Haevyn," she said aloud, as though to reaffirm her decision.

Sasuke gave her a measured look, as though he were trying to deduce why she seemed to be talking to herself. "Isn't that what you're already trying to do?"

"Yeah, but I was doing it because I had to. Now, I'm going to do it because I want to. Because I want to protect the people I love, no matter what I have to do."

"And if you die?"

Sakura shrugged. "Everyone and everything has a time to die, Sasuke."

"And this is yours, is it?" her teammate snapped, some of his anger and frustration beginning to leak into his voice. "You can't just give up!"

"Did I say I was? Don't get me wrong, Sasuke; I'll fight being taken over every step of the way...but I think I've realised that I'd rather _I _die than anyone I care for die." She smiled, but it was small and sad. "Love's a funny emotion, isn't it?"

Sasuke shifted uncomfortably.

"I mean," she continued. "The instinct for self-preservation is one of the most ancient, and one of the most deeply ingrained in our psyches. Yet most people would rather die than lose someone they love...even if it is pretty inevitable," she added.

Something in her tone piqued Sasuke's curiosity. "How do you figure?"

"When I was very young, when my Mum first had to return here, I learned the first big lesson of my life...and probably the hardest lesson I've _ever_ learned...and it's that the price of loving is losing."

"Not always," Sasuke muttered, fighting the urge to point out she hadn't really lost _him_, at least.

"Yes, always," Sakura corrected. "I don't mean that you're going to lose everything you love in your life; most people are surrounded by people they love right up until the day they die. But we all lose something we love in this lifetime, be it a parent or a pet to old age and death, a friend to estrangement, a lover to a break-up...we all lose sometime, and I guess the essence of living is to decide if it's worth the risk. If loving someone or something is worth the risk of the pain you will feel if you lose them."

Sasuke blinked, unsure how to respond to that.

He'd always thought of Sakura as being rather innocent, almost naive, when it came to the ways of the world; to betrayal and pain and losing someone you loved. It had never occurred to him that maybe she already knew, but had simply decided that the reward was worth the risk of putting her heart on the line.

Perhaps this was why she could brush off so many bad experiences like water from the proverbial duck's back. Perhaps this was why the lessons in pain and betrayal – lessons that should have made her wary of caring for people – had never quite stuck, why she was always loving and never cared that it only ever hurt her.

In the end, Sasuke thought it wasn't because of Haevyn that Sakura was the way she was...it was because she knew as a child what some people never learned in all their lives; that love was worth the risk.

Sakura wasn't blind...she just saw so clearly even she struggled to understand it.

Sakura didn't look at Sasuke, feeling the sting of hypocrisy settle in her gut. It all very well to mouth such platitudes, but when it came down to it, she didn't have the guts to tell Sasuke she still loved him.

Though, considering his reaction the last time she'd told him, was it any wonder she didn't want to tell him? They'd found some modicum of friendship these days; she wasn't going to ruin it.

"Anyway, it's not so bad," she said at last. "We don't know for sure that I'm going to lose myself – Naruto thinks I'll be fine, whatever happens...I think kicking Ino out of my body has proved to him that I can take on anything that tries to mess with my mind. And even if it does happen...it won't be so bad."

Sasuke stared at her. She was talking about the complete erasure of who she was...how was that 'not so bad'?

For her part, Sakura thought she'd finally realised something. "I mean, think about it; what's my life compared to the lives of everyone in Konoha and Suna and all the Faeries in the Otherworld. Compared to all those people, I'm just a speck in the desert, the proverbial drop in the bucket...I'm not like Naruto or Gaara or Tsunade – I'm not indispensable; Tsunade's healing is just as good as mine. If I died, everyone would be okay. They'll mourn, and be really sad for a while...but in the end, they'll be okay."

_'I won't.' _ The thought whispered in the back of Sasuke's mind, but the words didn't pass his lips.

"Sakura..." She turned to him, and he suddenly realised he had no idea what to say. Then what had made him say her name?

The half-nymph's gaze settled on him, wondering what he wanted, only for her thoughts to be brought up short by the look on his face. There it was again; that damn inscrutable expression that never made any sense, but this time, she could make a guess as to the reasons behind it.

Sasuke didn't like to lose people he was close to. She suspected that his attempts to 'break his bonds' all those years ago had been, in some twisted way, his attempt to protect them and himself. To keep them from following him down the dark path he would walk, and the idea that if he broke the bonds himself, then he would lose them before he grew too attached to them, and he could say they weren't taken from him – it was his decision to cut them off. He might not have even been aware of what he was doing on a conscious level, but his actions certainly spoke volumes.

But then again, she was only guessing; what did she know?

Still, she offered him a smile. "Don't worry about it, Sasuke."

Sakura turned so she was facing him on the branch, and then leaned forward and wrapped her arms gently around his neck.

Sasuke stiffened, but she'd expected that. He wasn't good with affectionate physical contact, perhaps due to lack of experience.

"Sakura-"

"It's called a hug, you idiot," she chided softly. "Just shut up and take it."

He relaxed at her words, as though they'd reassured him of something. He was still a bit rigid, but Sakura didn't find that surprising.

But when he slid his arms around her waist – slowly, like a child trying to find out if a jigsaw piece fit or not – now _that_ surprised her.

Sasuke settled his arms around Sakura, clumsily returning her embrace. He leaned his head against her hair, inhaling the scent of deep forests and clear rivers, the wild and ancient smell combining with her unique hair colour and making it seem as though he held some fabulous mythical beast against him.

And considering Sakura held a goddess inside her, that metaphor was probably eerily accurate.

The half-nymph sighed and leaned into him, snuggling into his arms like a friendly kitten. And Sasuke found himself beginning to understand why Sakura was so fond of hugs.

-xxx-

Sakura felt considerably better in the morning. Now that she'd accepted what she was going to do, it seemed so much less burdening than before. Facing your own mortality wasn't exactly cheerful business, but it was certainly very freeing.

And Sasuke had not only accepted an embrace, but actually hugged her back!

Sakura looked up when she felt a Faerie approaching their campsite. And not just any Faerie – it was the Faerie Lord.

"Hey, Cohen," she said, smiling at him.

Naruto grinned and shouted a greeting, Hinata waved shyly, and Sasuke...simply glanced up at the Faeire Lord, then directed his gaze back to his breakfast of fruit.

Cohen blinked, obviously startled by Sakura's good mood. Considering how she'd reacted during that frightening near-merging, she supposed he'd expected a much more resistant and angry woman than the one he was confronted with now.

But he didn't comment on that; instead, his eyes landed on what she was clad in. "Your clothes..."

"Oh, yeah," Sakura looked down at herself and shrugged. "The gown-thing didn't change back, so Sasuke loaned me some of his. Shall we try the merging again?"

"If you think it best," Cohen said diplomatically, covering his surprise.

"Just give me a second to get changed," she said, taking the folded white gown and trotting towards the forest. "Wouldn't want to lose Sasuke's clothes as well."

-xxx-

Sakura came to the conclusion that she hated the white gown Haevyn seemed to insist on. It was loose and flimsy, and she tended to step on the hem when she wasn't paying attention.

With a small, strained grin at Cohen, she closed her eyes and attempted to merge with Haevyn.

It happened so quickly and so suddenly that for a moment Sakura thought she'd been struck by lightning. There was no struggle, no fight to reach within herself; she was in contact with the goddess as swiftly as if she'd flipped a switch. Perhaps accepting what Haevyn's essence would do to her was really all she'd needed to do to erase the last of her resistance.

Sakura felt the power hum through her body as though fire were burning under her skin; not painful, but strong and immense, ready to do her bidding. Her senses extended across the Otherworld, and in that moment Sakura _was_ the Otherworld...she _was_ the land.

She shivered as she felt Haevyn's mind intrude on her own, that cold, calculating way of thinking wrapping itself around her brain, seeping inside her like poison.

But she didn't fight it, didn't resist it. Instead, she opened her arms to it.

_'I will save the people I love,'_ she thought, almost as a challenge to Haevyn. _'If you must change me to do it...then change me.'_

The probing went deeper; Sakura could practically feel cold, alien hands wrap around her very soul. She tried not to flinch, tried to open herself, tried to accept it...but the probing stopped. As though Haevyn had sensed her resistance and drawn back.

But the power didn't leave. Sakura's innermost self was still mostly her own...but she could feel that she was still wielding Haevyn's powers.

Had she achieved some kind of balance with the goddess?

She opened her eyes, and smiled at Cohen. A small smile of satisfaction and relief.

But then her smile faded. As her senses extended beyond the Otherworld, edging into the human realm...she felt something. Something dark and hateful and just as ancient as her...something she had been struggling with since the dawn of time – she could practically taste their enmity on her tongue.

Sakura was sure this line of thinking would scare her later – she was thinking of her and the goddess as one person – but now, there was only one thought running through her mind; she knew what this feeling meant.

Skwall was moving on Konoha.

Perhaps he'd simply had enough of playing; the cat who was tired of toying with the mouse and was now prepared to eat it. Maybe the presence of the Faerie in the village had worried him. Whatever his reason, Sakura knew that while they'd held up to Daemon attacks, Konoha would not be able to stand against Skwall himself.

Unless she was there.

"**Skwall is moving on Konoha,"** she told the Faerie Lord, ignoring his startled look. **"Gather the remaining Faerie...we are going to war."**


	19. Trial By Fire

**Chapter 19**

**Trial By Fire**

Tenten swore as she buried her blade into a slinker, the Daemon dropping to the ground with a final shriek of pain. They'd never been attacked this heavily before...was the presence of the Faerie in Konoha causing Itachi to attack them more savagely?

Whatever the reason, Tenten had never seen an attack like this. Wraiths and slinkers were crawling over the ground like a vicious black tide, while shades, satyrs and harpies were being dealt with on the other side of the village. The air was so thick with dragons that Hatchling couldn't take off, and had to settle for shooting jets of her black breath into the sky from the ground.

Magic was so thick in the air Tenten could practically taste it. As the dragons' black breath was so dangerous to their forces (it could fell an entire building with one good blast), a group of various Faerie were crouched in a circle, their eyes closed as they pooled their powers in an attempt to shield the village from the descending dragons. Their magic was not powerful enough to stop the black breath entirely, but it served to weaken the effects.

But the concentration required was so deep the Faerie involved could not defend themselves. So a small group of Faerie and humans ringed the circle, acting as guards for those within.

A stream of water whipped through the air like a lash. Summoned from the river by a selkie, it cleaved a slinker in two as though it had been a steel sword. Centaurs charged into battle, striking out with both magic and their powerful hooves. Wargs assumed their true forms, becoming immense wolves as large as horses – whose eyes glinted with eerie intelligence – to lead their packs of canines into the fight.

Pixies – the only Faerie that could fly – rose en masse into the sky to swarm around individual dragons, their magic and their insects combining to devastating effect.

Nymphs, the frailest of the Faerie, but also those most gifted in magic, sent ropes of pure power rippling through the air, felling whatever Daemon touched them. Unicorns let sparks of magic lance between their fingers before sending it out in blasts that could cripple any of Skwall's creatures.

In spite of the adrenaline pounding in her veins, Tenten took the time to glance around for her friends. Of Lee, nothing could be seen but the occasional green blur amid the wraiths, but Tenten could track his progress by the panicked shrieks the Daemons gave as he cut a swathe through their numbers.

A shout, and a sudden blur of chakra signaled Neji's Rotation technique, and the resulting screeches made Tenten smile.

Ino was poised on Hatchling's back, keeping Daemons off her dragon while she directed Hatchling's attacks at the dragons above them with a point of her finger and a shouted instruction. Shikamaru was using his Shadow Sewing to pierce whatever Daemon came within twenty feet of him, and Chouji was simply using his signature technique to flatten anything that attacked him. It didn't really work well against the wraiths, but more than a few slinkers had fallen to the Akimichi.

The others were at the opposite end of the village, battling the shades, satyrs, and harpies. Tenten hoped they were okay.

Movement at the edge of her peripheral vision made her spin around, on guard for another attack.

There was a man moving slowly into the battlefield. But he looked so unhealthy – so ill – that for a moment Tenten wondered if this truly was a Daemon. But as she watched, cold black mist began to wreathe the creature's body, until it seemed nothing but a twisting column of jet-black smoke.

And from that smoke, a dark tentacle lashed, touching a nearby shinobi with what Tenten could see was no more force than a slap...

But the man's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he slumped to the ground, the boneless contortions of his body telling Tenten he was undoubtedly dead.

It had to be Blightbringer – that creature Sakura had warned them about that could rip souls from people's bodies. Tenten sent a barrage of shuriken at the column of smoke, but they passed right through, apparently without ever doing any damage. Blightbringer didn't even pay attention to the attack; he simply continued on his rampage as though it had been nothing.

A group of pixies fell to Blightbringer's touch, and Tenten's stomach wrenched as she considered how they could fight him. How could they hope to beat something they couldn't even touch?

A shadow passed overhead, and at first Tenten paid it no mind, thinking it was simply one of the dragons that wheeled through the sky. But then her mind noted how much larger it was...

Tenten rolled to the side just in time to avoid the enormous claws that crashed down, scything the ground where she'd stood moments before.

The dragon was enormous – at least as large as Hatchling – and it was forced to swing its head to the side to track Tenten's movements, as one eye was white and blind beneath a torn, scarred lid.

Stormseeker. In a surprisingly human-sounding voice – if layered with hatred and malice – the dragon spoke.

"This is for my eye, bitch!" he spat, and Tenten was forced to leap away from a spurt of black breath.

-xxx-

Sasuke's first thought when he saw Sakura as Haevyn was that it didn't suit her. And now, listening to her speak to the gathered Faerie (many of whom were practically cringing in shame and fear that they hadn't welcomed Haevyn's vessel into their midst) with the Gate Keeper and Cohen at her side, his thoughts hadn't changed; this didn't suit her.

He didn't mean the power or her new status – those seemed to fit her like a well-made glove. It was her expression that seemed so unlike herself. Sakura's eyes had always been warm, whether with the gentle heat of caring and compassion or the blazing inferno of rage, they were always alive, like flames reflected in emeralds.

But now...Sakura's eyes were cold and distant, like two chips of green ice. She regarded them with interest, but not much attention, like a human being staring at a couple of butterflies. As though, while she might like them and feel some sort of responsibility for them, she could never see them as equals.

She reminded Sasuke of Gaara when he faced him in the chunin exams; her eyes didn't hold the madness his had done, but they reflected the same kind of frigid calculation, and the very world around her seemed to be waiting on her command in the same way Gaara's sand seemed to wait on his.

He only dimly registered Sakura telling the Faerie to make ready to leave (Sakura could transport them to Konoha instantly with her powers), he was so absorbed in his own thoughts. It seemed strange that this one act – merging with Haevyn – could make Sakura seem so different...and yet at the same time, so much herself. Some part of Sasuke wondered if this was what someone looked like when they were fulfilling their life's purpose.

Because that was exactly what Sakura was doing. Her birth, her very life, was already planned out in Haevyn's mind before the first brick of Konoha was laid.

It was a frightening thought. That so many aspects of Sakura's life were not chance, but deliberate calculation to shape her into what she was.

But at the same time, Sasuke refused to believe that Sakura was what she was only because of what Haevyn did. The goddess might have manipulated many events in Sakura's life...but she couldn't control all of them. While she could make sure Sakura was more likely to chose a certain course of action above another, she couldn't truly choose for Sakura.

Still, the idea that the half-nymph's life – that _all_ their lives – had been planned from the beginning was deeply unsettling. It teased at the mind, pushing and prodding, threatening to tip Sasuke's entire world on its axis.

"I guess this is it," Naruto said quietly, checking his pack to make sure he'd taken all his equipment from their campsite. Sasuke had the impression he was doing it more to keep his hands busy than out of any real suspicion that he'd left something behind.

"I guess so," Hinata whispered, her hand stealing into his own.

Naruto looked at her, his eyes somber with heavy emotion, and squeezed her hand.

Their moment was broken when Sakura spoke again, in that voice that seemed to be the land itself speaking, a voice that drew attention like a magnet drew metal.

"**Are you ready for battle, Faerie?"**

A chorus of agreement rose from the assembly. Wargs howled to the sky, centaurs and unicorns neighed loudly, pixies chittered like crickets, nymphs shouted, and selkies sang out.

"**Then we go to war."**

And the world in front of Sasuke lurched and spun, blurring away as though he were flying across the landscape, rushing back to Konoha.

-xxx-

Shikamaru tried to use his Shadow Possession to trap Blightbringer – if he could immobilise the Daemon, they stood a chance of at least limiting his destruction – but it was like trying to hold an eel in his bare hands. Blightbringer slid free every time Shikamaru's shadow touched his, as though the Nara wasn't even using his signature technique.

In desperation, Shikamaru tried to use his Shadow Sewing, hoping he could pierce something vital. But the spears of darkness skewered straight through, as though the column of blackness was nothing but smoke, containing no physical body of any kind.

Shikamaru was beginning to see why Blightbringer was such a valued part of Skwall's army.

A young centaur, braver than his fellows, galloped straight at Blightbringer, dodging the dark, grasping tentacles, his arms spread wide as he hurled himself at the smoky blackness, apparently determined to tackle the Daemon from his hiding place. But he passed straight through, and when he came out the other side he fell to the ground, his body limp, limbs akimbo; dead.

Shikamaru tried to calm himself, forced himself to analyse the situation even as another ninja fell to Blightbringer's deadly touch; the kunoichi's eyes suddenly empty, her body lax and still.

They couldn't touch him. No long-range attacks seemed to work. Then how could they possibly hope to defeat him?

Shikamaru allowed himself to hope when he saw a selkie, a river nymph, and a warg join hands; since the Faerie had come to Konoha, he'd learned that their magic was always more powerful when used in concert. If no single Faerie could take Blightbringer down, perhaps a group of them...?

But the shimmering rope of magic that struck at the heart of the darkness only elicited a momentary flinch. The next instant, a myriad of inky tentacles burst from within, and Blightbringer struck at the three that had attempted to fell him. The river nymph fell, but the selkie and the warg hurled themselves away just in time. Blightbringer seemed unhurt...

But he had still flinched.

"_Faerie!_" Shikamaru called. "_You can bring down Blightbringer if you-!_"

His voice died when a black tentacle whipped at him, and he was forced to duck low to avoid it. It seemed Blightbringer didn't want him directing the Faerie in an attack on him.

Another tentacle whipped out of nowhere, and Shikamaru dropped to the ground and rolled, only just managing to avoid it. He came up against a tree, and leapt into the branches as two more tentacles skimmed towards him.

He was just beginning to wonder how long he could keep this up, when he heard a very familiar voice shout, "Hatchling..._lilacs!_"

The distinctive black breath of dragons washed over Blightbringer, but the Daemon didn't even flinch. If anything, he seemed to feed on it; the black smog swelled slightly, like a gorged snake.

"Over here!" Ino called, gesturing that Shikamaru should make his way towards her and Hatchling.

Shikamaru ignored her. He wasn't about to draw Blightbringer's attacks to Ino; the Daemon didn't seem to regard either her or Hatchling as a threat, and Shikamaru was not going to call attention to them.

Ino wanted to scream in frustration and fear when Shikamaru ignored her. Didn't he understand how much danger he was in? Didn't he know he stood a better chance against Blightbringer's deadly touch if the Daemon had more than one target to concentrate on?

The blonde found herself cringing as Shikamaru barely dodged another death-bringing tentacle. Didn't he realise that with one touch – even the slightest brush – from one of those, he would die, his soul yanked from his body?

If Shikamaru wouldn't protect himself...then it seemed she would have to do it.

"Hatchling..._guard!_" Ino instructed, using the command she'd instilled in the dragon's mind weeks ago, thinking that they might one day need Hatchling to protect fallen comrades.

She'd just never imagined she'd need to use it like this.

Ino's hands practically blurred as they formed seals as familiar to her as her own name, trying to ignore the little voice in her head that told her she was practically committing suicide. Who knew what would happen if she tried to take over a Daemon's mind – if such a thing was even possible in the first place? Was there even a target for her mind in that black smoke? And what of her body – entrusting it to Hatchling was not the same as having Shikamaru watch her – what if something attacked while she was so vulnerable?

But watching Shikamaru and their other allies duck and dive away from Blightbringer's tentacles, Ino knew she had to try.

She thrust her hands forward, aiming at the middle of the writhing pillar of darkness as she shrieked the name of her technique aloud, just in case any ninja nearby heard her and decided to help Hatchling guard her motionless body.

"Mind Transfer!"

Even in the midst of a desperate struggle for his life, Shikamaru heard that shout. He spun around, feeling cold hands clench at his heart as he saw Ino slumped between Hatchling's forelegs, her eyes closed, her mind clearly elsewhere.

_'But who did she use it on?'_ he wondered, glancing frantically around the battlefield. _'Who...?'_

Blightbringer shrieked, the column of darkness seemed to contract...and in that instant Shikamaru knew what Ino had done.

-xxx-

Neji leapt from roof to roof, following the path of destruction that Stormseeker had carved through Konoha's main road. Stones were cracked, deep gouges rent the ground, and there were occasional splashes of blood on buildings and earth, blood that Neji hoped wasn't Tenten's. But judging by the promises of death and vengeance he could still hear the dragon spitting, Tenten was still healthy enough to be putting up a true fight.

Not that Neji ever doubted she would. But Tenten was one woman against a dragon over forty feet long that matched their intelligence and could spew pure destruction from his mouth. The Hyuuga doubted some reinforcement would be unwelcome.

He saw Stormseeker rise into the air, flying in a slow circle as though he'd lost sight of his quarry, and Neji forced his muscles to greater efforts, determined to use this chance to overtake the Daemon.

-xxx-

The experience was rather similar to the time she'd helped Sakura fight off Itachi, Ino decided. Except now the mind surrounding her own didn't feel nearly as welcoming or pleasant. On the contrary; it felt painful, like she was immersed in acid.

She could feel the darkness around her surge and pulse, but she brought her will to bear against it and she felt Blightbringer's mind draw back, as though surprised.

_Interesting...and amusing..._

The voice was all around her, its tone condescending, and Ino knew she was in trouble.

But it wasn't in her nature to give up, and she drove her mind against the Daemon's, struggling desperately to force it into submission.

_You use the powers I gave your ancestors with too much fervour,_ the voice noted, sounding contemptuous now. _You forget that your power is mine, and I...I have had longer to learn..._

The darkness rolled, boiled, and drove against Ino's mind like a hammer-blow, heavy and crippling.

Ino felt her mind flinch and give, her own will folding beneath Blightbringer's assault. She felt like a sandcastle trying to stand against the tide; weak and helpless and standing no chance, but struggling vainly all the same.

But she refused to give in. Ino was nothing if not determined, and in this case, sheer stubbornness _was_ a weapon.

She met Blightbringer head-on, will against will, mind against mind, battering at the Daemon's persona, trying to dominate it with her own...

And she felt Blightbringer's mind flinch, felt him slide back, felt him lose ground. Small though it was, the victory inspired her to greater effort. She could win this...she would! His mind would submit to hers, his body would do what she willed...

Blightbringer might be powerful, yes, but Ino was stubborn, iron-willed, and determined to protect the people she loved.

_'Bring it on, Daemon!'_

-xxx-

Shikamaru had never really asked Ino what it was like to use her Mind Transfer technique. And now he found himself wishing he had, as he wondered if the battle clearly raging in Blightbringer's mind was the norm for her, and the only reason he was aware of it this time was that this fight was simply taking far longer than the others. Did she have to struggle like this every time?

Blightbringer had condensed back into his human-like form, and was crouched on the ground, teeth gritted, face twisted...everything about him spoke of desperate struggle.

As Shikamaru watched, the Daemon shouted and spasmed, pure destructive power ploughing the ground around him as he snarled and shrieked. But gradually, the shrieks resolved themselves into words, and Shikamaru was given the surreal experience of watching as two people fought for control of one body, and thus, one mouth.

"You can't hope to defeat me!" came a screech that Shikamaru knew was Blightbringer. "I was wielding these powers centuries before you were conceived!"

His face twisted, and the voice that came from his mouth in the next instant had Ino's combination of lilt and sharpness to it. "Powers don't mean anything here – it's all about determination! And you can ask my friends; I'm the loudest, bossiest, most troublesome woman in all of Konoha! You think you can take me on?"

Shikamaru weaved his way to Ino's body, his eyes flickering every so often to the form of Blightbringer, a little stunned by this very noisy evidence of the mental war Ino was waging.

"You're just a human! Pathetic, puling, mortal, wret-!"

"And this _human_ is making you fight for your body, so-!"

Hatchling's bloodcurdling snarl made Shikamaru stop in his tracks for a moment, before the dragon recognised him and allowed him to move closer to Ino's inert body.

"Your body is vulnerable-" came a strangled gasp from Blightbringer. The Daemon took a few abortive steps towards the blonde woman's body, but then crumpled to the ground as though punched in the stomach.

"You're not getting anywhere near my body, you-!'

Shikamaru gathered the Yamanaka's body in his arms, readying himself for a quick exit if Blightbringer tried to attack Ino's body again.

Blightbringer's body seemed to curl in on itself, and his mouth was alternating between spewing a list of obscenities and threats like a true creature of darkness, and screaming challenges and goads as Ino was wont to do in a true free-for-all.

And then suddenly it stopped, the abrupt silence from the Daemon almost as unsettling as the screaming. Blightbringer rose slowly to a standing position, but Shikamaru could tell his faltering movements came from recent strain rather than interference from another mind.

Someone had won...but who?

The Daemon looked down at his hands as though his eyes had never seen them before...and then the mouth split into a grotesque grin.

"Take that you stupid Daemon! I'm Yamanaka Ino, and I can kick anyone's ass if I put my mind to it!"

Shikamaru released his breath in a sudden rush, his muscles unknotting all at once in relief. It was Ino...Ino had won.

She was grinning in her borrowed body, clearly flushed and giddy with triumph.

"I can't seem to do that tentacle-thing..." she mused. "But let's see what happens when I do this!"

Blightbringer's body darted forward, and his hand touched a nearby wraith, locked in combat with a unicorn. The wraith didn't make a sound; it just toppled over, melting into the black, steaming puddle wraiths became when they died.

Ino wasted no more time. She launched herself into the fight, striking out right and left, the slightest brush of her hand proving deadly.

"_Don't attack Blightbringer!_" Shikamaru shouted. "_He's possessed by one of our own people; so stand back and give them room to work!_"

Well, it wasn't exactly possession, but he didn't really know any other way to describe it. Shikamaru adjusted his hold on Ino and retreated a little under Hatchling's protective shadow. After all, someone had to take care of her body.

But Shikamaru couldn't help noting that the body in his arms was very pale and starting to sweat...as though a fever was beginning to take hold of her.

-xxx-

Kakashi had been in an unusually contemplative mood, and had been on top of the Hokage monument, gazing down at the village, when the attack started. Which was probably rather fortunate, as this had put him in a good position to take care of some of the dragons.

Because the scales were so hard and largely impossible to pierce, Kakashi made sure to target eyes, nostrils, mouths...anything that wasn't scaled. And by laying low in the trees on top of the cliff, the dragons remained ignorant as to the origin of the kunais and shuriken that sang through the air.

So far, he'd only managed to kill four, but he had badly injured scores of others. It should slow them down a little, at least.

Kakashi was cautiously optimistic about the battle...right up until the sky _quivered_.

There was simply no other word for it. The sun itself seemed to cringe, and the jonin was suddenly struck by such a sense of hopelessness, of complete bleakness and utter despair, that he nearly staggered with the force of it.

Kakashi realised there was a man floating in the air in front of him. But on the heels of that realisation came another; that this was not a man, because no human being could exude such malice, such evil, such...destruction.

This wasn't a man. This was Skwall.

He hung suspended in the air, not as though he were flying, but simply as though gravity had no power over him. In the face of this...this thing...Kakashi felt like a grasshopper trying to face down a cyclone. Something small and insignificant facing a force it could never truly comprehend, a force that could tear it apart without the slightest effort.

_'This isn't good,'_ he thought, with the fatalistic resignation of a ninja who had calculated the odds and knew there was no way out. _'We can't stand against him...there's no way we could even hope to fight him...'_

He could feel Itachi's power expanding across Konoha, so thick in the air he could practically see it. Kakashi could almost feel that blanket of destruction settle on Konoha like a funeral shroud.

And then something happened. The air twisted, shifted, making room for something that had not been there a moment before...

And something – another power, strong and ancient – rose up and smote against Itachi's, pushing him away, driving him back. Kakashi felt as though he were standing in the eye of a cyclone; he could feel the power raging around him like a physical pressure on his skin, making his hair stand on end and playing havoc with his shinobi nerves that were screaming for him to attack, to defend, to do something to protect himself from that kind of power.

But Kakashi didn't leap into action; instead, he settled for slowly turning around.

Sakura was standing behind him, but it was a Sakura so changed from what he remembered of her she might as well have been a stranger. She was clad in a white gown that looked more ceremonial than practical, and her hair was so long it brushed her waist, the strands waving gently in the wind of her powers.

"**You..."** Skwall hissed, and Kakashi gritted his teeth against a voice that seemed to violate every natural law.

"**Me,"** Sakura agreed, a cold smile on her lips.

A pause, one in which Kakashi could sense they were measuring each other. Haevyn and Skwall had not clashed for centuries; hundreds of years was plenty of time to learn new tricks.

"**I will give you this one chance, Skwall,"** Sakura said softly, her voice ringing through the land. **"Leave my home, my realm, in peace."**

Itachi's face split into a hideous perversion of a grin, and though Kakashi couldn't see anything, he could feel that they were suddenly joined in battle, their powers twisting through the air like snakes striving against each other.

Part of being a ninja – perhaps the most important part – was knowing your own skills. Kakashi knew he was powerful, one of the most powerful ninjas in the village...and he also knew that the battle being waged around him was far beyond his level.

If he stayed, he would only be a liability.

So Kakashi formed a few quick seals, using the Instant Transportation jutsu to leave the cliff-top and return to the village below.

-xxx-

The world slowed its whirling, Sasuke's feet touched ground once more, and Konoha solidified around him.

He heard shouts arising from the humans and Faerie around them, undoubtedly shocked by the sudden appearance of Faerie all throughout the village, as though they had simply dropped from the sky.

Sasuke glanced around, his eyes seeking a small, pink-haired figure...

_'Where is she?'_

And then he knew. The air, the ground, the water...everything around him suddenly became charged, like the clouds just before lightning streaked through them, or a match in the split-second between when it was struck and when the flame bloomed.

Two beings, both older and more powerful than either humans or Faerie could ever comprehend, were clashing in outright war. Without quite knowing why, Sasuke's eyes were drawn to the top of the Hokage monument...and he saw them.

One figure in black, the very air around him holding him suspended as the clouds above him boiled through the sky. Another wrapped in white, her feet on the cliff, firmly rooted to the land beneath her.

They were completely motionless.

"Why aren't they fighting?" Naruto asked softly from somewhere beside Sasuke.

"They are," Mikiko replied softly. "Just not on a level we're aware of. They're gods...in all essences of the word. They've left physical battles far behind."

With those words, the Daemons seemed to recover from the shock of suddenly seeing a horde of their enemies appear in their midst, and having their god confronted by his first and oldest enemy. They rushed to attack, and Sasuke was forced to take his eyes from Sakura and Itachi and concentrate on his own survival.

-xxx-

Tenten pressed herself into the wall beneath a shop's awning, hiding from Stormseeker so she could have some time to regroup. Silently, she cataloged her inventory; six kunai, fifteen shuriken, two throwing axes, and a katana. Most of her weapons had already been hurled at the Daemons by the time Stormseeker attacked her, and it wasn't as though she'd had a chance to recall them to her scroll.

Suddenly, without warning, she felt a heavy, crushing power press down on her, as though the air itself were shrieking.

Tenten had felt this before, and she knew what it meant; Skwall was abroad in Konoha.

But before she could react, the hideous pressure suddenly eased, matched and countered by another.

_'Sakura...?'_ Tenten wondered. _'Did she merge with Haevyn?'_

The brunette was given no time to digest that thought before the awning above her was torn away by a hooked claw as long as her body. The sudden exposure making her kunoichi instincts scream, she drew the katana automatically, even though she knew it would be no match against the destructive black breath...

"I'm going to eat you, human," Stormseeker snarled. "I want to feel your bones crunch against my teeth, and your blood slide down my throat."

Tenten had a moment to reflect that Sakura had been right – Stormseeker had a vengeful, sadistic streak a mile long – before the dragon lunged for her, claws grasping, jaws gaping. Teeth the size of Tenten's forearm and as sharp as her blade approached at dizzying speed, and Tenten knew that if those teeth pierced her she was as good as dead.

In the brief second before the Daemon made contact, a wild, reckless, practically suicidal plan flew into Tenten's head. The only way she would survive was if she avoided contact with the teeth. With her back to the shop wall, she couldn't go backwards, and with the claws sweeping in, she couldn't go sideways...so she went forward.

Tenten leapt straight into Stormseeker's mouth, flying past the teeth and landing on the tongue as his jaw clamped shut, plunging her into sudden darkness. She barely had time to orient herself before the tongue twisted beneath her, trying to drive her onto the teeth in the same way she would maneuver a piece of chicken around her mouth.

The brunette tried to twist away, but she couldn't even see where the teeth were, and she felt a sudden flash of pain as the edge of an incisor caught her leg, tearing off her pants below the knee and slicing her calf open.

But Tenten was not to be discouraged at the prospect of being devoured. She braced her boots on the sides of the teeth and pushed herself back onto the tongue.

There wasn't much room to move in the dragon's mouth but, remembering how Naruto had slain one of the dragons that attacked the hospital, Tenten angled the katana up and drove it into the roof of Stormseeker's mouth.

She felt the flesh around her convulse. Blood pumped down the sword, and her position beneath the blade meant that the term 'bloodbath' was now taking on an entirely new meaning. The warm crimson fluid soaked her clothes, slicked across her skin...the hilt became slippery beneath her hands, but Tenten continued to press it forward until the sword was completely buried.

The flesh convulsed again, and then the mouth around her suddenly tilted to the side and Tenten was aware of a falling sensation.

Stormseeker was falling, and since she was still in his mouth, she was obviously going along for the ride. Tenten braced herself for impact, even though there wasn't much she could do in a wet, slippery place she couldn't even stand up straight in.

A jarring thud, and Tenten fell against the teeth once more. Fortunately, with the jaw locked closed as it was, the sharp edges of the teeth pointed outwards, and the sides were like smooth ivory. So while Tenten's bones had certainly been rattled, the shallow gash on her leg was still her only wound.

She knew Stormseeker was dead; she could feel that blood wasn't pumping down the sword anymore, just seeping slowly, telling her the dragon's heart no longer beat.

Releasing the sword and bracing her feet against the tongue and her hands against the roof of the dragon's mouth, Tenten tried to pry the jaws open, wanting light and clean air that didn't stink of death. Nothing happened.

Realising opening Stormseeker's mouth might take more strength than she currently possessed, Tenten groped for her katana in the darkness, pulling it free with a sharp wrench and a sickening gurgle. She jammed the sword between the rows of teeth, and began to attempt to lever the mouth open.

She inhaled deeply...and nearly gagged when she felt the dragon blood and saliva on her lips slip into her mouth. Spluttering in disgust, she grabbed the edge of her shirt, turning it over in her hands to use the relatively unstained inside of the garment to wipe the mess from her face, clearing her eyes, nose and mouth of the fluids.

Blood had never turned her stomach before, but Tenten found herself feeling a little nauseous. Still, she supposed she could be forgiven; she doubted many ninja had ever been a situation like hers. While she couldn't _see_ the blood, she could _feel_ it soaking her clothes, her skin, her hair...she could feel it seeping through the dragon's teeth, and the metallic smell was choking in the darkness.

The brunette knew she needed a bath desperately, but she was also feeling a little giddy at the thought that she'd just survived being eaten by a dragon. While she might not have gone down the throat, she certainly went into the mouth, and the only injury she had was a small cut on her calf.

_'I am the luckiest ninja in Konoha,'_ she thought fervently. _'If Lady Tsunade had even half of my luck, she would be a billionaire by now.'_

-xxx-

Sakura grappled against Itachi/Skwall; power against power, mind against mind, each one striving to bring the other to their knees.

At first, Sakura was a little off-balance; she had been a kunoichi for most of her life, and as such she was accustomed to battles and strategy, not this kind of raw, heavy-handed struggle. But Haevyn knew this kind of fighting, had been waging this kind of war before Sakura was born. And since the...the joining (Sakura didn't think she could call it merging), what the goddess could do, Sakura could do. What was familiar to the goddess was familiar to Sakura, and she soon found that this kind of psychic battle felt almost natural...as though this was how she had always been meant to fight.

And she knew she was gaining ground. Itachi was powerful, yes, and he'd had longer to learn of his powers than her...but he had never expected to face someone with powers like his so soon, while she had learned and grown into her abilities with the specific intention of fighting someone on her level. In addition, the fact that this wasn't Skwall's realm and that Itachi's soul was dead meant that he had trouble anchoring himself in the human realm, while Sakura was half-human and still alive, so she had no such problem holding herself in this world.

The fact that she'd surprised him also worked to her advantage as well.

Their powers nullified each other where they clashed, but Sakura could feel herself bear down on him, her power driving into his being like a spear of fire, seeking his essence.

The Gate Keeper had told her that there had been vessels before her. Eager for any information that might help her, she'd asked how they had managed to defeat each other, and he had explained that while the other Faerie were limited in their control over another's essence, gods had no such restraints. It was possible for either Haevyn or Skwall's vessel to separate their opponent's essence, so that the god and the vessel were parted. The vessel would be left relatively unharmed – save whatever aspects of themselves had been altered during the merging – and the god would be restored to the tree in the Deepest Well in their dormant form.

When Sakura had asked him why he hadn't mentioned this in their previous discussion of essences, he'd told her that she and her friends had asked if a Faerie could separate Itachi from his essence, and it was Haevyn – their goddess – who was capable of such a thing, not any of the Faerie. Sakura had thought that it was very like the Gate Keeper; to keep Haevyn's secrets until he thought it time to reveal them, regardless of how it might influence other's lives.

Just like his goddess. Hadn't Haevyn manipulated and discarded vessels when it suited her, using them only to do battle with Skwall and then abandoning them afterwards, regardless of the outcome?

Of course, considering the human realm and the Otherworld hadn't been destroyed yet, Sakura assumed Haevyn had won those battles.

But those were battles waged hundreds of years ago. Battles in which the vessels of Haevyn and Skwall were Faerie and Daemons, respectively. Just because Haevyn had won those was no guarantee Sakura was going to win this one.

But she thought she had a good chance. Skwall was off-guard, unprepared to face her...she could feel his power crumbling beneath the pressure of her will as he scrambled to fight back on the level her assault demanded.

And then...he was gone.

It was like feeling your ears pop in a sudden altitude change. The pressure built, intensifying with every passing second...and then it was suddenly released.

Faced with defeat, Skwall had retreated to the Elseworld, where she could not follow. Extending her senses across Konoha, Sakura realised he'd taken his Daemons with him...the ones who were still alive, at least.

Konoha was safe.

She didn't know how to feel. One part of her insisted on triumph, but another part was pointing out that this meant the next battle was going to be much more difficult and nasty. She'd lost her element of surprise; Itachi was going to be well-prepared next time.

She hadn't won...she'd just bought them some more time.

Sakura closed her eyes, her senses seeking any sign of Daemons in the village below...but finding none except Hatchling, she sighed in relief and began to disengage from the goddess essence within herself.

It was a slow process. While she'd thought she'd achieved a balance with the goddess, it appeared she was wrong; over the time they'd been in contact, Haevyn's essence had begun to seep into her own. And now trying to separate them was like being presented with a haystack, and then trying to pick senbon out of it without ever knowing how many senbon had been placed in there in the first place. But eventually, Sakura was sure she was herself again and Haevyn lay dormant inside her once more.

When she opened her eyes, she felt so tired she thought she might collapse on the spot. Not tired in the sense of physical exertion, but tired in the deep, wearying exhaustion of mind and soul. She felt as though her mind wasn't quite connected to her body...as though she were going to melt away.

As though she were...losing herself.

She couldn't help noticing that some of her hair had shifted to twigs and leaves again, and she concentrated hard on her human self until they shifted back into pink strands.

"You did well, Daughter of the Land."

She knew without looking that it was the Gate Keeper; standing just behind her.

"Not that well," she muttered, half to herself. "He'll be back."

She didn't wait for a reply – she wasn't sure she wanted one – and simply sighed, glancing at the winding steps that lead back down to the village, dreading the prospect of having to walk them in her weary state. Even if she was going down rather than up, she didn't think she'd even make it halfway, and it probably wasn't wise to perform the Instant Transportation jutsu while she was so out of sorts; she might accidentally transport herself into the solid rock of the cliff-face.

"Do you think anyone would mind if I just collapsed up here for a few hours?" Sakura asked the white stag.

"Nightbringer and Firedance would come looking for you," he pointed out in a measured tone. As though he didn't want to question her outright, but thought he should make her aware of this.

"True."

Sakura had never really intended to stay where she was anyway; she knew she was needed in the village below. She could feel death and pain picking at her senses, could feel the icy darkness creeping at the edge of her mind, but she pushed such awareness away. She wasn't an inexperienced eight year old anymore; accepting the goddess essence had given her greater powers...and also greater control over her abilities.

Another glance at the stairs, and a slow blink as Sakura tried to fight the urge to just curl up on the bare earth below her and go to sleep.

Seeming to understand her exhaustion, the Gate Keeper stepped forward, his shoulder drawing level with her in a silent offer. Sakura rested her hand on his back gratefully, practically leaning on the white stag as they began to descend the stairs towards the village.

-xxx-

Neji felt the power lying heavy in the air suddenly dissipate, and the Daemons around him seemed to vanish on the spot, as though whisked away by a swift, silent wind.

But he didn't pay too much attention to his surroundings; he was still running flat-out, his eyes fixed on the point where he had last seen Stormseeker. He assumed the dragon had disappeared with the others...but what about Tenten? Was she alright?

When Neji rounded the corner to see the fallen dragon, he almost smiled. The Daemon was clearly dead; Tenten had taken down a forty-foot monster bent on her death, and he felt a sudden burst of pride in her.

But then he realised Tenten was nowhere to be seen, blood was leaking from Stormseeker's mouth...and there was a shred of dark material between his teeth. A shred of material that was the exact shade of Tenten's pants.

Neji felt a sensation rather like being punched in the stomach; all the air left his lungs, and his intestines twisted into bitter knots. Had Stormseeker...?

It didn't bear thinking about. His mind so clouded with desperation that he didn't even think to use his Byakugan, Neji didn't waste any time in running over and trying to prise the huge jaws apart.

It was easier than it should be; as though something was trying to open them from the inside. And then Neji was given no time to think as Tenten slithered from the Daemon's maw and into his arms, completely covered in blood.

Tenten gasped as she was drawn from the dragon's mouth, grateful to feel clean air filling her lungs. She gasped again – this time in surprise – when Neji pulled her against him, heedless of the dragon blood and saliva that stained his pale clothes.

"_Where?_" he demanded, his hands running over her body, trying not to panic at the sheer volume of blood he was encountering. "_Where are you injured?_"

Tenten didn't think she'd ever seen Neji this close to hysterical, and she hastened to reassure him. "I'm fine, I'm fine; it's just the dragon's blood – I killed it, and I'm fine. I'm fine!"

Neji was normally more in control of his impulses, but he had just – in the space of two minutes – gone from sick worry for Tenten's safety to horror and crippling despair that she might be dead, then back to sick worry and terror, and now that he held her bloodstained, weary but gloriously _alive_ and unhurt body in his arms...Neji was going to do something he'd wanted to do for years.

He yanked Tenten even closer to him and kissed her.

At this point, Tenten thought that what she was feeling went far beyond surprise. At first, she tensed with shock, but soon relaxed into the kiss, feeling grateful she'd cleaned her face before Neji helped her open Stormseeker's mouth. She wanted to wrap her arms around him, hesitated when she remembered her slimy covering, but decided that if Neji wanted to kiss her while she was covered in Daemon bodily fluids, then he would just have to deal with the consequences.

Tenten was enjoying herself, but as the shock and the post-battle relief and euphoria wore off, there was definitely an 'ick-factor' (as Naruto would have called it) coming into play.

Fortunately, just as the feel of congealing blood and drying saliva squashed between their bodies was beginning to make her feel a little disgusted, Neji drew back.

"We won," he informed her, as though this was an afterthought, glancing upwards at the dragon-free sky.

"That's nice," Tenten said, a little dazed, and wondering if he was going to suddenly withdraw from her.

But her fears vanished when he looked down at her again, a small smile on his lips. A smile from Neji by itself was rare enough, but it was the tenderness in his eyes that truly left Tenten gaping.

"You need a bath," he remarked, one long finger running over a lock of her sticky hair.

"Tell me about it," she grumbled.

"How did you kill...?" Neji's question trailed into thin air as he glanced back at the dragon and noticed the bloody wound in the roof of Stormseeker's now-open mouth and the blade that lay between the dragon's teeth.

"I should probably get that katana..." Tenten mused, but she found herself reluctant to leave the circle of Neji's arms.

Eventually, she peeled herself off him, grimacing as she took in his ruined clothes and his stained hands and face.

"You look like you could do with a bath yourself," she pointed out. "Sorry for getting your clothes...like that."

"I'm sure I'll survive."

Tenten nearly laughed. To an outsider, their interaction wouldn't seem to have changed at all, but she could feel it had. It was much the same on the surface, but it seemed somehow...more...now.

The brunette grasped the hilt of her katana, flicked the blood from the blade and sheathed it, making a mental note to clean it thoroughly later. She turned to see Neji watching her, and she found herself flushing a little at the intensity in his gaze.

"I need to get the rest of my weapons," she stated.

A nod, and another small, private smile from Neji.

Tenten thought it was almost funny; she was covered in dragon blood, the evidence of an earth-shaking battle surrounding her in the rubble and shattered husks of buildings...and yet she was feeling dangerously close to giddy.

Her slimy hand grabbed Neji's equally slimy hand, and they set off to find the others and look for Tenten's weapons.

-xxx-

Naruto clutched Hinata to him possessively, their hands automatically running across each other's bodies to check for any injuries.

Finding the blonde to be unhurt (which was no real surprise, considering his healing rate), Hinata finally allowed herself to smile, and her grin only widened in exasperated amusement at Naruto's horrified expression when he discovered the gash across her shoulder.

"It's okay," she told him firmly. "It's shallow; I'm fine."

The worry in his eyes didn't diminish in the slightest, but he nodded, turning to his friend next. "Hey, bastard, you need any help?"

The tone was condescending, as though Naruto believed Sasuke weak enough to need help, but Hinata could detect true concern underneath it.

Sasuke didn't seem to have heard him; he was staring fixedly at the top of Hokage monument. "What's happening up there?"

"Huh?" Naruto followed the direction of the Uchiha's gaze, squinting as though he thought Sasuke was seeing something he couldn't.

"Something happened...and the Daemons went," Sasuke said, his eyes never moving, barely blinking. "But what happened to Sakura?"

There was a pause in which Sasuke seemed to be giving the absent half-Faerie once last chance to show herself, and then he took off for the monument, raising dust in his wake.

Naruto glanced at Hinata, and with her affirmative nod, they both sped off in pursuit.

-xxx-

Shikamaru wasn't quite sure what had happened, but he could guess. The sudden appearance of the other Faerie, as though they'd been mysteriously teleported into Konoha...the power that had practically soaked everything around them, the sudden release of that power...

It seemed apparent Sakura and Itachi had clashed, and judging by the complete absence of living Daemons, Shikamaru could guess who won.

"Well, that wasn't half as troublesome as I thought it would be," he commented to Ino.

When he received no response – no rueful laugh, no frustrated scolding about 'that word' – Shikamaru glanced down.

Her skin was far too pale for comfort, and a cold sweat still lay on her skin. But that wasn't what was worrying Shikamaru; Ino's body was completely inert in his arms, like a living, breathing doll. He'd have thought she was still using her Mind Transfer technique, except that Ino's eyes closed when her spirit left her body. And now, her eyes were open, unfocused and glazed as if she were thinking deeply about something.

Trying to ignore the way his chest was contracting, Shikamaru slowly moved his hand back and forth in front of Ino's face. "Ino?"

Ino remained limp, not the slightest change of expression crossing her face to indicate she knew he was there, her eyes staring blankly at nothing.

And Shikamaru knew that something had gone horribly wrong.


	20. Picking Up The Pieces

**Chapter 20**

**Picking Up The Pieces**

Shikamaru stared down at Ino, his mind racing as he tried to figure out exactly what had happened. Was this some sort of side effect of using Mind Transfer on Daemons, or was this happening because she'd used it on Blightbringer in particular?

Hatchling chirruped a greeting before he heard Chouji's voice, calling for him, "Hey Shikamaru, are you okay?"

His friend came around the dragon's foreleg, starting when his eyes landed on Ino's comatose form. "What happened?"

"She used her Mind Transfer on Blightbringer and something went wrong," he explained tersely, gently taking Ino's chin and turning her head to side, trying to see if she was simply hallucinating or the like and was actually staring at something only she could see. But no; her eyes turned as her head did, remaining as fixed as if she were a porcelain doll.

Hatchling seemed to have picked up on the fact that something was wrong; her enormous, scaly nose was nudging one of Ino's boots, and when the blonde failed to respond, the Daemon let out a forlorn keening sound.

"She looks like she's just...not there..." Chouji muttered, grasping her wrist and shaking gently as though to rouse her from sleep. "What do you think Blightbringer did?"

Shikamaru shrugged. He'd heard stories of Yamanaka's who had lost themselves, who had been unable to return to their bodies when their willpower was insufficient...but this was Ino they were talking about; who had ever heard of Ino's will being insufficient for anything?

Shikamaru decided that it didn't really matter _how_ Ino had gotten like this; what was important was fixing whatever had gone wrong and getting her back to normal.

"We'll take her to Sakura," he said decisively. With her combination of chakra and Faerie magic (not to mention goddess powers), the medic was the one that stood the most chance of knowing what had happened to Ino and being able to undo it.

"I can carry her-" Chouji started, seeing how tired his friend was, but Shikamaru shook his head, cutting him off.

"I've got her."

Ino was light in his arms; a little too light. It wasn't as though she were an emaciated waif, but as though she were missing something, something small but very important, something that made her feel like a human being and not like a husk that could blow away in a strong wind.

He and Chouji moved toward the Hokage monument, where he'd last seen the dueling figures. Hatchling hurried behind, crooning low in her throat.

-xxx-

Kakashi sped through the aftermath of the battle, noting the amount of fallen humans, Faerie and Daemons that littered the streets; several with their friends and family standing over them, either weeping openly or standing rigid and still in shock. Several buildings had collapsed, and many more were crumbling. Medics were already working on those humans with the worst injuries, and wounded Faerie were being healed magically by their comrades.

Kakashi's keen eyes honed in on a flash of pink; Sakura was descending the last of the stairs that led to the Hokage monument. Her steps were slow and measured, and her hand rested on the back of the Gate Keeper as though for support. Her demeanour was that of a leader who was utterly exhausted, but trying to project the illusion of strength so as not to worry her 'troops'.

Slowly, like a gradually spreading ripple in a still pond, the Faerie nearby began to move. As Sakura's feet touched the grass, they dropped to their knees, their hands on the ground and their heads bowed in a gesture of both fealty and loyalty.

The humans just looked uncomfortable, and Kakashi could sympathise with them; no matter how many times he told himself Sakura was a goddess in the eyes of the Faerie, it was still unsettling to see multitudes of powerful magical beings bowing to her. He had a feeling it would take some time to become accustomed to the strange mix of worship and awe in the Faerie's eyes when they looked at her.

Though intending to step forward to his erstwhile student's side, Kakashi suddenly found himself hanging back with the milling group of puzzled ninja, struck by the feeling that he would be approaching a stranger.

"Don't bow," was the first thing Sakura said when she reached the foot of the stairs. "Save the respect for when we actually win."

"I thought he ran away..." came a low murmur from somewhere in the crowd.

Sakura shook her head. "Running away implies he was beaten. And he wasn't; it was more a strategic retreat."

She glanced at the faces arrayed around her. No one seemed to know how to react to her; even Tsunade and Kakashi looked a little shaken. She took her hand from the Gate Keeper's back, intending to step forward and reassure them, but she wobbled dangerously as soon as she was deprived of the support.

It was rather like her brain and body weren't operating on the same frequency; she told herself to take a step forward, and her leg ended up flopping weakly forward as though she were ill.

She was just about to reach for the Gate Keeper again, when a warm, gloved hand closed around her elbow, keeping her upright and offering support without really appearing to do so. Sakura looked up, and Kakashi's visible eye crinkled in a soft smile.

"Thanks, Kakashi," she whispered, hoping he knew she was grateful for more than just the hand on her elbow.

Apparently seeing Kakashi supporting Sakura made her more approachable, because Tsunade came up on her other side.

"You look like you're in bad shape," she commented.

"I'll be fine," Sakura said, her eyes sliding out of focus a little. "Just give me a moment."

Kakashi watched the grass bend towards Sakura's bare feet, remembering how she could revitalize herself with energy from plants.

Sakura didn't hold out much hope of feeling better; her weariness was mental, not physical, but she did feel a little more in control of her body as the plant's energy re-charged her.

She opened her eyes, smiling at her teachers, and turned to share her grin with the others around her, a group that now seemed to include Sasuke, Naruto and Hinata. She could feel that there had been losses, there had been injuries...but she could also sense that many of her friends had been left virtually untouched.

_'Lucky...'_ she mused, even as some part of her wondered if it was really just luck.

Even as she shielded herself from the feel of the deaths and injuries, her sense homed in on a body she could somehow recognise as Ino's. There was something wrong there; she could feel it. While Ino seemed to be in perfect health, apart from a few scrapes and bruises, she felt...empty. Instead of the strong pulse of a soul and mind, there was nothing there but an echo.

"There's a problem," Sakura said simply, stepping past Tsunade and out of Kakashi's grasp, with a last grateful look at them. "I think something's wrong with Ino."

Feeling tired, but with adrenaline and worry already beginning to take the edge off her exhaustion, Sakura set off down the road towards Hatchling – whose head loomed over the buildings – figuring that wherever Ino was, Hatchling would be too. Sasuke, Naruto and Hinata went to follow her, while Tsunade and Kakashi stayed behind to organise the anonymous ninja and Faerie milling around uncertainly now that the battle was over.

The Hokage directed some towards healing, others towards gathering the dead, and still others towards basic clean-up; ensuring that near collapsing buildings weren't going to topple onto the heads of passers-by and clearing the rubble from the streets.

And all the while, she couldn't help but ponder Sakura's words. She and Itachi had struggled, and an unprepared Itachi had retreated. While on the surface the news seemed good, Tsunade knew it was far from it. They'd lost whatever element of surprise they might have had; the next time Itachi attacked, he was going to be well prepared and confident that he could defeat Sakura.

-xxx-

Sakura's progress was slower than she would have liked, mainly due to the fact she kept having to tell the Faerie they encountered not to bow. The half-nymph supposed it was an automatic reaction when in the presence of their goddess' vessel, but it just made her uncomfortable.

Naruto had babbled questions about her battle with Skwall, and Sakura had answered them to the best of her ability, until Sasuke cuffed him on the back of the head and told him to shut up and stop bothering her. While they'd sniped at each other for a while after that, Naruto seemed to sense she was tired and hadn't asked anything more, settling for walking alongside her silently and holding Hinata's hand.

They'd encountered Tenten and Neji along the way, both unharmed but in dire need of a bath. Sakura had learned – with no small amount of relief – that Stormseeker wouldn't be a problem anymore; Tenten had killed him. The story of how she had done so was so outlandish it almost sounded like some kind of fairytale, but didn't they say that the truth was strange than fiction?

Even in her tired state, Sakura didn't fail to notice Tenten and Neji's joined hands, and couldn't hold back a small grin. Progress had been made. She'd probably have to talk to Tenten later to find out just how much progress it was, but it had still struck her as very cute.

Even though the concepts of 'cute' and 'Neji' seemed rather antithetical.

Sakura shook her head and quickened her pace, anxiety churning in her gut as she wondered what could have happened to Ino.

But she couldn't help starting a little when she passed Reika, one of her cousins, tending to a fallen chunin. The injured kunoichi looked up at Sakura with something like awe in her eyes (the medic could see the rumour mill had already been hard at work as to her position within the Faerie), but Reika looked up, caught Sakura's gaze...and then dropped her eyes.

Sakura wasn't surprised. Her family's opinion of her might have changed, but too much hatred had passed between them, too much love had been given and rejected, for them to ever really face each other as family or even as friends. In spite of her words to Naruto in the garden all those months ago, she had never really held out hope for a reconciliation between her and her extended family.

Her friends remained beside her like some sort of honour guard, no longer talking but offering their silent support. Strange as it seemed to think of Naruto as quiet or Sasuke as supportive (though it was easy to see Hinata in either of those roles), Sakura was grateful for their presence. It helped to ground her, to keep her from thinking over all the hideous possibilities that might explain what she'd felt from Ino.

It helped to ease the guilt that ripped through her like a knife when she saw the bodies.

When she rounded the corner, carefully avoiding the crumbling building in case it came down on their heads, Hatchling was the first thing she saw. The dragon's neck was arched, her head hovering level with the small figure cradled in Shikamaru's arms.

"Sakura!" Chouji yelled. "Something's wrong with Ino!"

"What happened to her?" Sakura asked as they drew closer, staring at her friend.

"She used her Mind Transfer on Blightbringer," Shikamaru explained, his voice tight.

Naruto whistled. "I knew Ino didn't lack guts, but...wow!"

Sakura ignored him, frowning as she examined her friend, only dimly registering Shikamaru's continued narrative, which detailed the obvious mental battle and the fact that Ino had still been occupying Blightbringer's body when Itachi recalled the Daemons.

Ino appeared to be sick; she was sweating and shivering, but it was the horrifying blankness in her eyes that chilled Sakura. She took the blonde's pulse; it was slow and sluggish, as though Ino were sleeping. But her skin was cool to the touch – not freezing cold, but Sakura was sure her body temperature was a degree or two below what was healthy.

Sakura took a deep breath to try to calm herself down, shut out her friends' voices, and concentrated on what she knew.

Ino had used her Mind Transfer on Blightbringer. The fact that Daemons didn't use chakra made using such a technique on them risky at best; was it even possible for Ino to get out of a Daemon's body once she jumped into it? If Daemons didn't control chakra, Sakura didn't see how she would be able to release the technique while in Blightbringer's body.

Added to that was the fact that it was _Blightbringer_ she had jumped into, the Daemon who had first taught Ino's ancestors how to project their minds into another's body, and Sakura wondered just how draining that mental battle had been. Ino had obviously won...but what had that cost her?

And if she had still been in Blightbringer's body when Skwall transported them all back to the Elseworld, then Ino would have had to travel back to her body through a dimensional wall...how would that have complicated things?

Resting one hand on Ino's forehead, Sakura closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to feel Ino's soul in the same way she'd felt hers and Shikamaru's all those months ago. But this time she wasn't trying to separate it from the body...she was trying to put them back together.

The last time she'd tried this, she'd felt Ino's soul in her body like a skin of shimmering water.   
But now...there was nothing. Just an echo, a fading, shimmering thread that was Ino's last tether to her body.

And that thread was fading, unraveling, beginning to peel apart...

So Sakura stretched out a mental hand, taking the tiny thread very carefully (even if she was technically only touching it with her magic, she still felt as though it were about to fall apart in her 'hands') and gently, cautiously...tugged on it.

She didn't know what this would do, but she hoped the mental stress of having to force herself out of a Daemon's body and then through a dimensional wall simply meant that Ino had gotten a bit lost and needed a reminder to get back where she belonged.

But nothing happened, so Sakura sent her awareness after that thread in the same way she'd tracked Tenten and Neji's progress with the first Faerie retinue, hoping to follow it to Ino.

What she found at the end wasn't a soul or mind like she'd ever seen; it was jumbled, confused, and fracturing in places as it tried to hold itself together with absolutely nothing around it.

Sakura felt a chill run through her. Humans processed the world around them via their senses; sensory deprivation was one of the more inhumane methods of torture, but even then, the subject could still hug themselves...could still touch their skin and remember who and what they were.

But Ino had drifted into limbo, into nothingness – deprived of even a body – for who knew how long...what had it done to her?

Even if she got Ino back in her body...would she still be sane?

Firmly pushing those worries aside in favour of concentrating on the problem at hand, Sakura sent a piercing mental call into the ether, in the same way she'd called for Tenten's attention.

_Ino!_

-xxx-

There was nothing. No hot or cold, no black or white...just nothing. Blankness, complete and utter nothingness.

She knew she was lost, but she couldn't remember where she had to go. Her mind seemed to be breaking into little pieces, and when she tried to pull them back they got mixed up until she couldn't remember what went where. It was like breaking a glass: when you tried to scoop up the pieces, they just slid together and tangled until you could never put it back together again. The harder she tried to keep them together, the more mixed up they became.

_'Like a kid trying to follow his mother's most complex recipe,'_ she thought.

In the next moment, she wondered what a recipe was. She pondered the word for a few moments, and the meaning came to her once more, as though it were being transmitted in Morse code and she had to think hard to figure it out.

The nothingness was already eating at her, already mixing her up until she didn't understand what or who she was anymore.

She knew she was lost; she knew that much. She just didn't know where she was going or why she was needed there.

She found herself hoping no one was expecting her. They were probably in for a long wait if they were.

_Ino!_

Sound – blessed, wonderful sound! – exploded around her, and she was so grateful for some sort of sensation amid the nothingness that she thought she could cry.

_Ino!_

She tried to answer back, but couldn't seem to make the words take shape in her mind. So she tried to seek the voice.

_Ino!_

Something touched on the edge of her mind. Not quite sensation, but something close to it, and she strained towards it, wanting something besides this nothingness...

Ino snapped back into her own body like a switch had been flipped. There had been nothing – absolutely, horrifyingly nothing – except for Sakura's voice, and then there was suddenly light and colour and gasps of shock and excited babbling and the soft chirping of birds and the smell of grass and the taste of blood where she'd bitten her tongue in the shock of it and warmth and rough material against her skin!

Ino's arms seemed to have a mind of their own as they seized the source of that warmth and wrapped themselves around it, pressing her tightly to that rough material and feeling it bunch in her palms as she fisted her hands in it, her fingers white-knuckled and the muscles trembling with the force of it.

She ignored the shouts and cries, the exclamations and the demanding questions. Her eyes felt dry and horribly scratchy but she didn't blink, her entire body shaking as she absorbed the storm of sensation after such terrifying nothingness.

"There was n-nothing..." she babbled. "Just...nothing...just...nothing...there was nothing...nothing..."

Ino was gasping for air so desperately that she was hiccuping, and her cheeks were wet with tears. She tried to get herself under control, but the more she tried to restrain her sobs the more insistent they became, and she was soon crying openly, more from sheer relief than from her fear.

It took some time for her to think past the flood of sensation and emotion. Ino thought she'd been weeping for at least three minutes before she realised that the source of warmth she'd grabbed was a person. It was another twenty seconds before she realised that her arms were twisted around their ribcage, and her face was buried somewhere around their shoulder with the side of her head pressed against their neck. It took another fifteen seconds for her to recognise the arm rubbing her back and the voice vibrating next to her ear.

Apparently, she was crying into Shikamaru's shoulder. Ino had the vague impression that she was going to be horribly embarrassed about that later, but at the moment she simply couldn't care.

She knew her arms were locked around him rather tightly, and tried to make herself – if not let go – at least loosen her grip a little. He had to be bruised from the battle and she probably wasn't helping by nearly squeezing the life out of him. But it was like all the muscles in her arms were locked; they refused to so much as weaken their grip.

Ino hoped Shikamaru didn't mind too much.

She gradually became aware of the others around her. She could hear Hatchling's worried hum hanging in the air, a soothing counterpoint to Naruto's worried babbling. Hinata seemed to be trying to calm him down, with little success. Chouji and Sasuke were silent; the former because he was probably trying to respect her need to let it out, and the latter because silence seemed to be what Sasuke did in situations like these.

Ino didn't know what Shikamaru was saying; with her ear against his throat, his voice was distorted too much for her to make out any actual words. But she could hear the worry in his voice.

Sakura's hand was gently stroking her hair, and Ino could hear her telling Shikamaru that her reaction was probably to be expected, explaining that she'd been nothing but a mind drifting free from her body, and that sort of nothingness could really knock people for a loop.

At the reminder, Ino shivered a little, and pressed her face further into Shikamaru's shoulder. She'd apologise for getting his shirt wet later.

Eventually – she wasn't sure how long it took – she managed to get her rather hysterical reaction under control. Her breathing evened out, and she was able to persuade her arms to relax their death-grip on her teammate.

She realised that at some point during her hysteria, almost everyone had left, giving her at least a measure of privacy. Obviously, Shikamaru and Hatchling were still present, but the others were gone.

"Uh...sorry about that..." Ino began, maneouvering herself out of Shikamaru's lap and trying not to meet his eyes. "It was just...uh...like Sakura said, there was nothing, and then there was suddenly everything, so I guess I just..."

"It's okay," he said, and even though her eyes were riveted on the ground and she couldn't see his face, his voice was so gentle she thought she might cry again.

Hatchling chirped softly, nudging her shoulder, and Ino turned and threw her arms around the scaly neck, hugging the dragon tightly.

"It's alright, girl," she whispered. "I'm okay...I'm okay..."

-xxx-

"You okay?" Naruto asked, leaning over Sakura where she was sitting on the ground, looking exhausted.

After bringing Ino back to her body, Sakura and her companions had been drifting through Konoha in case anyone else needed her help. Sakura had tried to sense if anything was amiss, but had quickly shut off her awareness again at the influx of pain that battered at her mind; besides, it was hard to sort out one desperate cry from the storm of death and agony that was still hovering in the air.

Eventually, she'd found herself in a small patch of dead grass and ruined trees, marking where Blightbringer had stood. Sakura had knelt down, touched the barren earth, poured some of her magic into it...and then watched as new shoots sprouted and grew, and the trees became healthy again.

Except with that small piece of healing, it seemed her body decided it was time for another revolt, and Sakura had been forced to sit down before she collapsed.

"I want a nap," Sakura whined, leaning back against a tree. "Just for an hour or so..."

"What's stopping you?" Sasuke asked.

"There's still the clean-up to go and people need healing, and-"

"And all of that can be done by other people," Sasuke pointed out.

"He's right, Sakura," Hinata chimed in. "Lady Tsunade and Kakashi were organising the clean-up, and I'm sure she's making sure the wounded are being tended."

"I guess..." Sakura said slowly, unable to shake the feeling that she should be doing something, that she was responsible for the people – both Faerie and human – in Konoha.

"Just because you're their goddess, doesn't mean you have to help them through every little trial," Hinata told her, and Sakura found herself reflecting on how perceptive the Hyuuga was.

"Okay," she said at last. "You've convinced me. I'm going to take a nap as soon as I get home."

She grimaced as she remembered that her house was on the other side of the village. And that was assuming it had survived the attack and was still standing.

Naruto seemed to guess what she was thinking. "You can stay at my house, Sakura."

"Naruto, your apartment is even further than her house," Hinata pointed out, smiling a little. Sometimes Naruto was so keen on helping his friends he didn't think his offers through.

"My house is closer," Sasuke said shortly.

Sakura blinked at him. Was he really offering what she thought he was offering? She thought of asking him why, but then decided against it; she just wanted to fall into the nearest bed and sleep for a century...but as that was out of the question, she'd settle for an hour-long nap in one of Sasuke's guest rooms.

-xxx-

Sakura flopped wearily onto the dark sheet, wondering why Sasuke was being so generous lately. First his clothes, now this...

Her thoughts broke off when an enormous yawn rose from her throat. She turned over and sighed and she snuggled into the blanket, not even bothering to slip under the covers.

"These are really nice sheets..." she mumbled into the pillow. She knew without looking that Sasuke was still in the doorway; he'd led her through the Uchiha compound and shown her to a room just a little off the main hallway of the mansion.

"You know, if Itachi won, I can see some Daemons fighting over these sheets," the half-nymph continued, sighing happily.

Sasuke frowned. "Wouldn't he have just destroyed Konoha?"

"Not necessarily," Sakura replied. "If Itachi wins, he wants some place to raise his Daemons, right? At least, that's what Chouji said Ino thinks, and I'm inclined to agree – you have to admit, it does make sense. Anyway, if he won, he'd have taken over. Because if he was in charge, he'd be able to force humans into servitude – particularly those with bloodline abilities – to further increase his army."

"But those abilities are chakra-based," Sasuke pointed out. "Why would he want them?"

"Sasuke, I'm really grateful you let me crash at your house and all, and I will be more than willing to puzzle out Itachi's motives later...but for now, could you just shut up and let me sleep?"

-xxx-

Hinata woke slowly, her mind registering several things at once; the surroundings that were just a little less familiar than her own room in the Hyuuga compound, the warm arm draped across her stomach, the light, wheezing snores from the man lying next to her, and the fact that she was naked.

Of course, none of these realisations were particularly alarming; considering what had taken place before she fell asleep, Hinata would have been worried if she had woken up and found that she was _not_ in Naruto's bed.

She yawned a little, vaguely thinking that Sakura's idea of a nap had been a good one; she was feeling rather refreshed, and the shallow gash on her arm (bandaged and cleaned at Naruto's insistence) barely twinged as she stretched languidly. Her eyes drifted around the room, wondering where her clothes were. She could see Naruto's jacket dangling off the end of the bed, with her own crumpled on the floor beneath it. She vaguely remembered kicking her pants off in the general direction of the wardrobe, and she blushed when she spotted them hanging proudly from one of the closet's handles.

She continued her observations, making a mental checklist; shoes and socks at the door, forehead protector and underwear on the floor...

Hinata suddenly realised she had no idea where her bra was. She propped herself up on one elbow to look for it, but her movements woke Naruto.

"Mm? Hinata? Whass-?"

"Do you know where my bra is?" she asked, trying not to blush and failing miserably

Naruto raised his head, glancing around the room as he tried to force his sleep-fogged brain to remember where he'd thrown the garment. "Uh...I think I see it; it's on top of the desk. Why? Do you want to put it on again?"

Hinata shook her head. "No, I just wanted to know where it was."

"Good," Naruto mumbled, his eyes falling closed again.

Hinata giggled lightly, then noticed a small, dark jeweler's box sitting on the desk, partially hidden by a collection of scrolls.

"What's that?"

"What's what?"

"That small box on the desk?"

Hinata had intended for her question to be an idle one, but Naruto stiffened suddenly.

_'I knew I shouldn't have left it out!'_ he screamed at himself.

"Uh...it's...um..."

"Naruto?" Hinata was looking concerned. "What's wrong?"

"I...uh...it was going to be better than this, I swear!" Naruto babbled, sitting up and leaning over Hinata to snatch the box from the desk. "I had the whole thing planned out; we were going to go to dinner at a fancy restaurant, and take a walk along the river and _then_ I'd ask, except that I put it on the desk and didn't think to hide it when we came in and then you found it and I suppose I should just ask now and I know it's horrible and bad timing and everything but...butwillyoumarryme?"

Hinata tried to puzzle out his last sentence, and while she had an idea of what it might have been, she didn't want to give herself false hope. "W-what did you s-say?"

Naruto took a deep breath in an effort to calm the desperate pounding of his heart, opened the jeweler's box to reveal the simple silver band with a scattering of sapphire across the surface, and held it out to Hinata. "Will you marry me?"

Even suspecting what he might say couldn't prepare Hinata for the fact. She stared at the ring, feeling sharp, poignant emotion swell in her chest.

From Naruto's babblings, she gathered he had planned a far grander event. She knew that being offered a ring while they were both stark naked in bed was far from a traditional proposal, but she didn't want traditional; she wanted Naruto...as clichéd as that sounded.

She didn't know if she could talk past the knot of emotion in her throat, so she settled for throwing her arms around him and kissing him thoroughly before pressing herself into his chest, grinning giddily.

"Uh...that was a yes, right?" Naruto asked, sounding a little uncertain and just a touch out of breath.

Hinata nodded vigorously against him. "Yes...I'll m-marry you."

-xxx-

Tsunade watched Sakura move through the village, looking around as though she were seeing it with new eyes.

She seemed much more refreshed than she had when the Hokage had last seen her. Tsunade didn't know where the half-nymph had disappeared to for an hour, but she certainly seemed to have benefited from it. She seemed more aware of her surroundings, and didn't look quite so tired.

Tsunade stared at Sakura, and couldn't help but remember when she was truly her student; a young twelve year old eager to learn everything she could as fast as she could. She'd taught a child, and now...Sakura seemed far older than her. It was in her eyes, in her walk, in her very posture. Something had forced her to achieve a level of emotional maturity many people never reached.

And even as Sakura waved to her and approached, Tsunade found herself wondering just what had happened to make her seem so old.

"Hey, Lady Tsunade?" she said in a low voice as soon as she was close enough to her mentor to hold an audible conversation without being overheard. "I have something I should probably tell some people, you included."

"What is it, Sakura?"

"I don't want to say yet...but can you gather Team Gai, Eight, Ten and Kakashi and take them to the park next to Ino's house? I'll get hold of Naruto and Sasuke...and my mother."

Her voice was soft, but there was something in Sakura's eyes that told Tsunade that whatever they were going to learn, it was big. She simply nodded, and gave the half-Faerie a soft pat on the shoulder that she hoped was somewhat comforting.

Sakura offered what she thought was a reassuring smile, before drifting off in search of her teammates. Sasuke already knew what she was going to tell them, but she felt she should at least let him know that she was planning on letting everyone else in on Haevyn's plot.

She wasn't looking forward to it, but after her brief nap had left her with a clear head, Sakura had done some serious thinking on the subject and decided they had the right to know. They probably wouldn't thank her for it – Sakura knew firsthand that the knowledge she was about to impart was anything but happy – but...they should probably know.

Sakura sighed, and resumed her search for her friends and Mikiko.

-xxx-

Later, Sakura would think it was almost funny ('almost' because something like that could never be truly funny); everyone – even Naruto – had remained as silent as the grave throughout her story. She had expected questions, disbelieving shouts...anything but total silence.

But total silence was what she had.

Until it was broken, surprisingly, by Hinata. "So are y-you saying our entire lives were nothing b-but elaborate plans to ensure Haevyn d-defeated Skwall?"

The Hyuuga didn't like the fact that she was stuttering...but she tended to relapse in times of emotional upset, as demonstrated by her stuttering agreement to Naruto's proposal.

Hinata glanced at the ring on her finger. She'd been proud to wear it to this meeting, giddily hoping someone would notice and comment on it...and then Sakura had started speaking.

And now, she found herself wondering if this was part of Haevyn's plan. Had her entire life – even her love for Naruto – been nothing but a sham?

"Probably not your entire lives," Sakura corrected. "From what I understand, Haevyn just needed you to be born; then she tailored my life to make sure I'd befriend you."

"Sakura..." Mikiko whispered, her hand resting lightly on her child's shoulder.

In spite of herself, Hinata relaxed somewhat at the medic's words. Even though her mind reeled at the idea that her birth – indeed, all their births – had been planned out since before Konoha began, she felt grateful that her entire life had not been manipulated as Sakura's had been.

Hinata's mind still reeled to think of the sheer, horrifying depth and precision to the goddess' plans. Sakura's entire life had been written out like the script to some play, and Hinata knew that whatever she was feeling paled in comparison to what the half-nymph must have felt the first time she learned this.

She felt Naruto slide his hand into hers, the blonde man looking deeply troubled.

"So...the Kyuubi...?"

"Was part of Haevyn's plan, yes," Sakura admitted.

Naruto nodded vaguely, still looking stunned. But Sakura supposed it was all the reaction she could really expect for some time; of all of them, Naruto's manipulation had been – in her opinion – the most devastating. While Haevyn's hand might not have been present for all his life, her influence at the beginning had been more than enough to colour all of it.

"Wow..." Sakura heard Ino mutter, and she felt rather sorry for her. The blonde hadn't really recovered from that incident with Blightbringer; total and complete nothingness was enough to traumatise any ordinary person, and now she had to deal with this.

Hatchling keened softly, not understanding what had been said, but picking up on Ino's distress.

"You can say that again," Kiba muttered, scrubbing at his eyes. Akamaru whined and nuzzled his elbow.

Taking in everyone's shocked looks, Sakura decided she should probably wrap this up quickly and leave everyone to deal with it in their own time. "Anyway...the Gate Keeper told me there have been vessels before, though he admits that none of them were as...as perfectly designed...as me and Itachi. And at the moment, no one seems to know why Skwall wanted a human, or why Haevyn made such an effort to create a half-Faerie. And it's not like I can find out; when I join with the goddess, I get some of what she knows, but not everything. So, at the moment, I can't even begin to guess why she-"

"I believe I may have an idea, Daughter of the Land," the Gate Keeper said, appearing from the trees behind her.

Sakura could really learn to hate that 'appear from thin air' trick he seemed so fond of. But at the moment, she was really more interested in what he'd just said. "You think you know?"

The white stag nodded, dark antlers bobbing. "The Otherworld is Haevyn's realm – the Faerie's realm – and though we used to populate the human realm we were never quite as comfortable here. The land wasn't ours, and our powers were diminished in this world."

Sakura blinked; Mikiko had never told her that. She had never noticed any difference between her magic between the realms...but maybe that was because she was Haevyn's vessel.

"That fact contributed to many Faerie's decision to leave this realm for the Otherworld permanently, and certainly influenced the Faerie Lord's decree that forbid Faerie crossing over; he saw it as a way of protecting his people. As I said, this land is not ours."

The Gate Keeper cast a glance about him before letting his eyes lock with Sakura's. "But you, Daughter of the Land...you are different. You were born in this realm, and this world is yours in a way it would never be the Faerie's. This land is a part of you in a way it has never been a part of any other being."

The half-Faerie gave a faltering smile. "And that's good, right?"

"That is very good," the Faerie stag said simply.

Sakura nodded, then spoke again. "Anyway, we've pretty much cleaned up from this battle, but...there'll need to be funerals and such...and we should prepare for the next one."

"The next one?" Tsunade questioned softly, ever the Hokage; ready to put her own concerns aside in favour of the concerns of Konoha at large.

"The next one," Sakura confirmed. "Itachi retreated because I confused him; he wasn't expecting the kind of fight I can give him. But I don't think it will happen again. He's retreated three times because I did something that confused him...something tells me there won't be a fourth. There's no more mystery now. He knows what I am, he'll prepare to face me...and then it will all come to a head."

"But you have the advantage here," the Gate Keeper reminded her. "You are half-human and alive, so you do not have to expend any power to maintain a foothold in this realm the way Skwall must. And you must remember that Konoha is your home; your love and intent to protect are driven deep into the very earth."

"What was that?" Sakura asked, suddenly alert.

"Your powers may have been sealed away, but they were still within you. For more than a decade, Haevyn walked these streets within your body. Your magic hovers like a cloud over this village; perhaps not enough to influence battles waged between humans, but certainly enough to ensure any creature from the Elseworld will suffer if they try to do battle on these grounds."

Sakura nodded, suddenly realising why every battle against Daemons waged in Konoha had always resulted in so few human or Faerie casualties. They were simply benefiting from the magic – _her_ magic – that hung in the air, charged with protective intent.

"Well, on that note, I should really try to find Cohen," Sakura said, standing and preparing to exit gracefully. "Make sure the Faerie are alright and everything."

"You're not responsible for them," Sasuke told her, the first time he'd spoken since her story began. Sakura knew he hadn't remained silent out of shock – Sasuke had already known everything she'd told the others – but because that was just the way he was.

Still, considering he'd already known the story, Sakura couldn't help wondering why he'd come along.

With a shake of her head, the half-nymph snapped herself out of her thoughts to answer him, "Yes, I am. As far as they're concerned, I'm their goddess, and I think that makes me pretty responsible for them. A lot of them wouldn't even be here if I hadn't ordered them."

"It's not your fault-" Mikiko began, but Sakura waved her mother's concern away.

"I know, I know. But I still feel that I should at least check in on them."

With that, Sakura made her way from her friends towards the nearest Faerie she could see – a small pine nymph – to ask if she'd seen the Faerie Lord.

Sasuke also rose and left, and the departure of those two seemed to be some sort of the signal; the large group immediately began breaking off, wandering away in twos and threes, all apparently trying to cope in their own way.

Soon, the only ones left were Ino, Chouji, Shikamaru and Hatchling.

"Well...that was certainly something to think about," Ino commented as the two men remained silent.

Chouji glanced at her, looking troubled, before looking down at the ground again, where one foot was drawing random patterns in the dirt. Shikamaru was staring into space, but he didn't look nearly as troubled as Chouji looked and Ino knew she was.

"You seem to be taking this well," she told him.

Shikamaru shrugged. "I already suspected something like that was going on."

"_What?_"

At Ino and Chouji's shocked looks, he elaborated, "When Salena told us about Sakura, I remember thinking Haevyn was very lucky that Sakura had come along when she did, especially considering that she's half-Faerie and pretty ideally suited to become her vessel. And then I wondered if it had really been pure chance – if you were a god fighting another god, would you bet everything on an eight year old child who'd just happened to be in the right place at the right time?"

Ino had to admit that sounded a little far-fetched, now that she thought about it.

"So I thought that Haevyn might have influenced events a little," Shikamaru finished. "I'll admit, I didn't think the manipulation would have occurred on such a large scale...but it does seem to explain a lot."

"It does at that," Ino muttered. If nothing else, it explained the exceptionally generous distribution of unusual talent and power among her friends. She had once overheard Tsunade saying there had never been anything like it before or since.

She realised she wasn't truly upset or angry at the idea of Haevyn engineering her birth. Disconcerted, yes, but any fury she was feeling was on Sakura's behalf; she was the one who'd had not only her birth, but her entire life designed and warped to fit some goddess' scheme.

The more Ino thought about it, the more she realised that she was more worried about Sakura than about what this meant for her life.

"I think I'm going to find Sakura," she said at last, turning in the direction she'd seen her friend go and taking off, Hatchling lumbering after her. "See you guys later!"

Shikamaru watched her go, marveling at the speed of her recovery. Barely an hour ago she'd been clinging to him, sobbing and shivering like a kitten dunked in the river as she recovered from an experience Sakura hinted would have driven many people insane. He had dragged her home and practically forced her to eat and drink something, and she'd eventually stopped shaking.

By the time Tsunade had called them in to hear what Sakura had to say, Ino had appeared to have bounced back like a rubber ball.

And barely ten minutes after having been informed her creation was merely a tiny piece of a much larger plan, she decided she had to comfort her friend.

Shikamaru shook his head as Hatchling's tail disappeared around the corner (though he could still see the dragon's head above the buildings), then turned his attention to his other teammate. "Chouji...you okay?"

Chouji shrugged. "I don't know...it's a bit much to take in."

He frowned, staring off into space, and Shikamaru decided to leave him with his thoughts.

-xxx-

"So...what now?" Naruto muttered to the kitchen sink as he and Hinata sat in his apartment, trying to process what they'd just been told.

Hinata shrugged, not really knowing what to say.

"Are...are you okay?" she asked.

Naruto frowned, and seemed to think it over. "It's a bit of a mind-trip; the idea that I was born and had the Kyuubi sealed in me just so I could help fight off Daemons. But at the same time I think...I think I'm okay."

"You are?"

"Well, having the Kyuubi sealed within me has saved my life more than once...has saved a lot of other people's lives, come to that. So I don't think I can bring myself to be angry about it...not anymore."

"Oh," Hinata said quietly.

"And besides, didn't Sakura say that this-" he reached over and cradled Hinata's left hand, caressing the engagement ring, "This was us?"

Hinata nodded. "Haevyn didn't make us fall in love..."

"It was all us," Naruto finished, the beginnings of a smile teasing at his lips.

Then Hinata leaned forward and kissed him.

-xxx-

"How did this...? I mean, how could she...? Damn!" Kiba shook his head, then turned to Shino. "How can you act so calm about this?"

Shino shrugged. "My family breed insects for a living. Your family breed dogs. It is essentially the same."

"Yeah, but we're people, not animals!"

"I imagine that to a goddess, there is little difference." He eyed a bug crawling across his hand and lifted it to eye-level.

"How can you be so...so cold-blooded about this? You act like it doesn't mean anything!"

"It doesn't mean as much as you think," Shino countered, still watching the insect. "Our births were engineered, yes, but Sakura has admitted Haevyn exerted little influence in our lives beyond that. And even her life was not so micro-managed as you seem to believe."

"What do you mean?" Kiba had calmed a little.

"Think of how you breed dogs. As far as our lives are concerned, all Haevyn did was 'breed' us, so to speak, and left us to our own devices. Sakura was...something the equivalent of a show dog. Her environment was very carefully planned, her exposure to certain situations deliberately undertaken..."

"Exactly-"

"But even if you do all those things to a dog, can you truly determine what the dog will become?" Shino asked, looking at Akamaru. "Of course you can't. The dog is an individual, and while you can engineer its experiences to ensure it is more likely to develop to certain type of personality...you cannot be sure. In the end, it is up the dog itself."

Akamaru barked, wagged his tail, and nosed at Kiba's hand.

The Inuzuka laughed. "I guess so."

He scratched his dog behind the ears, and Akamaru's tail thumped vigorously against Kiba's leg.

-xxx-

Lee, Neji and Tenten were sitting in their old training grounds, the brunette woman idly juggling a kunai while her teammates brooded.

Tenten had to admit that they had good reason; it was a lot to take in.

"I never thought of myself as being part of any great plan," Lee admitted. "Or any plan at all, really."

"Me, neither," Tenten sighed, flipping the kunai in her hand and using it to try to dig out some of the blood embedded under her short, blunt fingernails.

She had managed to take a bath, wash all the blood and saliva out of her hair and don clean clothes before Tsunade had summoned her, so she'd rushed to the meeting with wet hair and without any chance to clean under her fingernails. Tenten wasn't one of those meticulous girls who prided herself on her beauty, but there was something about blood under fingernails that was very unpleasant.

Neji, she had noticed, was also dressed in different clothes and sporting slightly damp hair.

She continued, "I think, when it comes down to it, I'm not exactly glad it happened, but at the same time...if Haevyn hadn't done what she did, if I was born it a different time or in a different village...I would have been a different person. And I like the way I am...and the people I'm with."

She smiled tentatively at Neji, then moved to include Lee in her grin.

Neji thought about it for a moment, and realised she was right. They might resent the goddess for what she'd done, but frankly, what would their lives have been like if she hadn't? Would he have even existed? Would Lee, or Gai...

Or Tenten? Would Tenten have been born if Haevyn hadn't manipulated them?

Personally, Neji didn't want to find out.

"You are right, Tenten!" Lee suddenly proclaimed, yanking Neji out of his thoughts as the green-clad man shot to his feet. "A goddess chose me to be one of her champions, I should not be feeling resentful; I should be feeling honoured! I shall run five hundred laps around Konoha right now to prove her faith was not misplaced!"

Tenten barely had time to register what Lee had said before he was gone, blurring away through the trees.

She couldn't help it; she laughed.

"What's so amusing?" Neji asked, though there was a hint of amusement in his eyes that suggested he knew what she was thinking.

"It's just...that's so typically Lee, isn't it?" Tenten shook her head. "Irrepressible optimist."

She leaned her head against Neji's shoulder, still enjoying the fact that she could. "Thanks gods you're a little more down to earth; I don't know if I could keep up with you if you were like Lee."

Neji paused, and then, in an unusually teasing voice, asked, "Would you still love me if I were like Lee?"

"Depends, would you still love me if I were like...oh, say...Ino?"

"Maybe, but please don't put it to the test."

-xxx-

"Stupid hair," Sakura muttered, for what she knew had to be the sixth time. But she really hated her hair suddenly growing like this.

"Want me to cut it for you again?" came a voice from behind her.

Sakura whipped around. Ino was standing behind her, Hatchling looming over her shoulder like a protective mother hen.

"Ino?" she said, blinking a little. She was rather surprised to see the blonde standing behind her, brandishing a kunai. She hadn't expected to see any of her friends for at least a few hours, after they'd had time to digest what she'd told them and come to terms with it, at least partly.

"So, do you want me to cut your hair for you again?" Ino repeated, waving the kunai in demonstration.

Sakura grinned. "Sure...but shouldn't you be using scissors?"

"Scissors are for sissies," Ino retorted. "Are we doing this or not?"

Sakura sat down on a nearby wooden bench, Ino standing behind her and slicing at her hair. Pink locks fell to the ground like soft, feathery rain.

"Ino-"

"So...Itachi will be coming again, huh?" Ino interrupted. She knew what Sakura was going to ask; her friend wanted to know how she was coping with the recent revelations, and she wasn't sure she really had an answer for her.

Sakura knew a conversation change when she heard one, but decided to let it pass. She knew that denial had served her well for several days when she'd first learned about it.

"Yeah, he wasn't expecting a fight – at least, not the kind that I could give him," she told the blonde. "I wasn't even using that much of Haevyn's power; I think it was more the element of surprise that got him than anything else. He just wasn't prepared to face me."

"But he'll be back." It wasn't a question.

Sakura nodded. "He'll be back, and then I'll have to use more of the cosmic hoo-hah-"

Ino snorted.

"What's so funny?" Sakura asked indignantly.

"It's just...you're technically a goddess, and your calling your powers 'cosmic hoo-hah'."

"Well...that's sort of what they feel like."

"True." Ino nodded. "They were pretty wild. I mean, I was in Blightbringer's body at the time, but I could still feel it, you know? Like you were all around me."

"Speaking of which..." Ino couldn't see Sakura's expression but she was sure her eyes would be narrowing. "Have you learned your lesson about trying to possess Daemons?"

Ino shuddered a little, a chill sweeping through her as she remembered the blank nothingness that Sakura had somehow dragged her from.

"You mean...that could happen again?" she said quietly, carefully evening out the last of Sakura's chopped locks.

"I'm not sure if it was a result of using your technique on a Daemon, or if it was that it was Blightbringer in particular, or if it was because you had to try to return to your body through a dimensional wall...but I still wouldn't recommend trying it again."

For once, Ino had no arguments. "Okay, so using the Mind Transfer on Daemons isn't a good idea."

A voice from behind Ino agreed, "No, it isn't."

Ino turned, as did Sakura – once she was sure the kunai was far enough away that spinning her head around wouldn't get her ear sliced.

Mikiko was standing a few feet behind them, smiling in the way that people smiled when they weren't sure whether they were happy or not, but wanted to put on a cheerful front.

"Sakura..." she began slowly. "Could you...could you take a walk with me?"

Slowly Sakura nodded. "Can I meet up with you later, Ino?"

The blonde nodded, giving a half-hearted wave as Sakura and her mother walked away.

-xxx-

Tsunade decided she needed sake...and lots of it. She found the situation similar to when she'd been informed that Sakura was a goddess; it was a revelation that required a lot of alcohol to be applied, to the point where she could see humour in the situation.

She was also feeling particularly, irrationally angry at Kakashi, who – in her opinion – wasn't looking nearly as shocked as he should be.

"You seem to be taking this well," she muttered sourly.

"It explains a lot of things I was a little puzzled about," Kakashi replied. "It seemed very convenient that Sakura was there at that exact moment...and it seemed very strange that Haevyn would have chosen her to be her vessel without even knowing who she was. From the point of view of a strategist...this makes a lot more sense."

Of course, from the point of view of Kakashi himself, he just wished that Haevyn had left well enough alone; they would have been fine without her help. He knew such a thought was, frankly, rather stupid; from what Sakura had told them, she wouldn't have existed at all without Haevyn's 'help', and while Kakashi wasn't sure what would have happened if Sakura had never been born, he was certain that a world without her wouldn't have been nearly as pleasant as this world was now.

Even if he didn't feel it was particularly pleasant at this precise moment in time.

Still, when it came down to it, Kakashi supposed there were worse things in life than finding out one of your former students – indeed, all your former students – were alive only because of some goddess.

Because he was rather glad that they'd existed. He must be getting sentimental in his old age.

-xxx-

Sakura wasn't sure what to expect when Mikiko had asked to take a walk with her. Offhand, she couldn't remember ever hearing her mother so formal with her before. How had she taken the news?

And if she were honest with herself, she knew it was her mother's reaction she was most worried about. Mikiko and Sotaro's entire lives together had been Haevyn's doing, and her creation had not been an affirmation of their love, but rather one of the final pieces in the goddess' plot to stop Skwall rising.

"So...from what you told us, it seems that the only reason I was forced into human form is because it was part of Haevyn's plan?"

Sakura nodded, momentarily shutting her eyes as she braced herself for Mikiko's reaction.

She was surprised when warm arms encircled her and pulled her against a body that smelled of cherry blossoms.

"Then I should thank her," Mikiko whispered.

"Huh?"

While Sakura couldn't see her mother's face, she knew the nymph was smiling. "Sakura...I've always said that you and Sotaro were the best things that ever happened to me. And if Haevyn is responsible for that...then I think I owe her a very big 'thank you'."

Sakura couldn't help it; she flung her arms around her mother's neck and gripped for dear life, sniffling a little. She held on for one moment of pure, sweet relief, then pulled away.

"Let's go home," the medic suggested. "I need to change out of this get-up anyways," she added, waving a hand at the white gown she was clad in for emphasis.

"Sotaro is coming home in a few days, isn't he?" Mikiko mused.

"Yeah," Sakura nodded, feeling her heart sink as she anticipated telling her father about the manipulation.

"Don't worry," Mikiko said, correctly interpreting Sakura's sudden change of expression. "I know your father, and this won't change what he thinks of you."

Sakura was about to retort how could it not, when she thought about what Mikiko had said. She'd told Sasuke, and he hadn't really treated her any differently. Ino had offered to cut her hair (again), and Mikiko had just reassured her that nothing could change how she felt about her.

Maybe the people she loved were taking the news better than she gave them credit for.

"You're right," Sakura said at last, feeling the beginnings of a grin steal over her face. "It won't really change anything."

-xxx-

_AN: My brother being busy with schoolwork, this chapter was beta-ed by the kind justcallmefaye – thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly!_


	21. Whispers Of Prophecy

**Chapter 21**

**Whispers Of Prophecy**

Sakura stood on top of the Hokage monument, where she had faced Itachi only a few days ago, and stared down at the village below her. 

The more Sakura thought about it, the more she came to realise that she was performing subconscious mathematics.

The Gate Keeper had spoken to her earlier that morning, telling her to be prepared for the next battle. He had said that while she had the advantage in location, Itachi's power could still be capable of outstripping hers. He had merged fully with Skwall, while she had only reached a sort of tenuous balance with Haevyn, so it was likely that in a contest of pure power, Itachi would win.

Of course, even that strange form of joining with Haevyn put Sakura's mind and soul at risk, so she didn't hold out much hope of her essence surviving a merging with Haevyn, especially if it was for an extended period of time.

And yet...Sakura found she didn't really mind as much as she thought she would. Because she knew that compared to all the lives below her, her own life was a small price to pay for theirs.

Subconscious mathematics. Some part of her brain was calmly looking at this like some sort of equation, and deciding that the gain far outweighed the loss.

She smiled down at Konoha, thinking of her friends. More specifically, thinking of Naruto and Hinata...and the ring she'd seen on Hinata's finger. They were moving towards a bright future, and Sakura was going to make sure they had the chance to explore it.

Neji and Tenten had only just discovered the possibility of a future together, while Shikamaru and Ino had yet to realise theirs. She wanted to give them the time to do so.

Sakura's smile turned a little giddy, her contemplation of her friends' romantic successes making a small bubble of happiness swell in her chest. She couldn't deny that there was a touch of envy there as well, but it only made her joy all the sweeter, to know how rare it was for two people to love each other the way Naruto and Hinata did, the way Neji and Tenten did, the way Ino and Shikamaru did...

She wished she could have found that in her life. That she could have known that sort of love before she had to face...this.

"Sakura?" 

The half-nymph started, turning around to see Sasuke behind her.

His hands were shoved in his pockets and his posture was relaxed...but Sakura could tell he was as tense as a tightly-strung bow. Sasuke often tried to appear relaxed when he was most tense – Sakura was sure there was some profound psychological insight she could twist out of that, but she had never really wanted to try. Sasuke did these things because...he was Sasuke.

"Hey, Sasuke," she smiled. "What's up?"

He stared at her for several long moments, and just when she began to think he wouldn't answer, spoke in a low voice, "Cohen spoke to us this morning."

"Us?" Sakura parroted, wondering what the Faerie Lord could have said to get him so worked up.

He shrugged, "Me, Kakashi, and the idiot."

Sakura resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "So...what did Cohen tell you?"

"He said you hadn't merged with Haevyn, and that you and the Gate Keeper were going to be working on that later today."

"He's right," Sakura nodded. The Faerie stag had informed her that he wouldn't be forcing the merging, as he believed her strange balance with Haevyn was the most that could be achieved by will alone. He thought that her human blood might mean she was unable to fully merge with Haevyn (unless she were dead and her soul became malleable), so she would have to find a way of working around it.

"But we saw you...ascend," Sasuke said, for lack of a better word.

"Haevyn and I have come to some sort of shaky balance," Sakura tried to explain. "It was a...a joining, I guess you could call it, sharing power and such...but it wasn't a merging. If I'd merged with her, I wouldn't be standing here talking to you; I'd probably be looking at you blankly, wondering 'why does this mortal think he is of any importance to me?'"

She imitated the goddess with a high, lofty sort of voice, but it did nothing to dull the sudden streak of pain that burned through Sasuke's chest as though he'd been knifed. He'd thought that this was over; he'd thought that her battle had proved that she could merge with the goddess and still retain her self, the core of her being, the part that made her 'Sakura'.

But apparently he'd been wrong. 

Sasuke had never really considered what losing Sakura to Haevyn meant. He hadn't wanted to; the idea that Sakura might look at him with nothing in her eyes but a dull recognition – not even the affection she gave so freely to her friends – was painful. 

"Don't do it," a voice said, and it was with some surprise that Sasuke realised it had been his own.

Sakura frowned a little in puzzlement. "Don't do what?"

"Don't merge with her," Sasuke said, his voice low and urgent, his eyes not meeting hers. "Don't. I...you...you're important, Sakura, don't throw yourself away just because some stupid Faerie goddess thinks you should."

Sakura couldn't help gaping at him. The words were few, but contained more emotion that she'd ever thought Sasuke capable of expressing. 

"Sasuke?" she whispered as he stepped closer.

It was all she could manage. He had that look on his face again – that strange expression that resisted all her efforts to classify it – but it was so much more..._intense_...than she'd ever seen it before, her voice simply didn't seem to work.

Sasuke's hands moved to cup her face, his thumbs sliding back and forth across her cheekbones as Sakura's breathing went haywire.

"You are far more than some tool in a plan," he told her, his voice tight and constrained, as though the words were half-strangling him. "You deserve much more than to fade to nothing within your own body...you deserve better than to look upon other's happiness while you..." he swallowed, and appeared to be struggling with something. "While you are denied the chance to pursue your own."

Sakura blinked, a little shocked that he'd been able to read her motives for coming to the Hokage monument so easily. 

"Sakura..." he didn't continue, but something in his voice gave Sakura pause. She recognised the tone – it was the similar to the one some of the more worshipful Faerie used when addressing her. That strange mix of reverence and devotion...and something else...something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

Some small, still coherent part of Sakura's mind noted that Sasuke's face was awfully close to hers. That same part wondered what he was doing, feeling divided as to his motives. One side told her it looked like he was about to kiss her, while the other was laughing at her for even thinking such a thing would happen.

"Daughter of the Land?"

Sakura wished she had a measure of control over the sky, so she could have called a lightning bolt to strike the Gate Keeper down. Sasuke had leapt away from her like the proverbial kid caught in the cookie jar, as though embarrassed to be caught doing...whatever it was he had been doing.

"Nightbringer," the white stag acknowledged gravely.

Sasuke didn't return the gesture; he simply disappeared in a whirl of smoke and leaves, but not before Sakura caught the slightest hint of redness on his face. Had he been blushing?

"Were you speaking of something important?" the Gate Keeper asked.

Sakura shrugged, feeling it was the only gesture that could really express the confusion she felt. "He was just...telling me not to merge with Haevyn if I could help it. He was a bit emotional about it..."

It wasn't nearly everything he'd said, but it was the most she felt comfortable telling the Gate Keeper. She shook her head, and deliberately lightened the mood, "So...who do you think drugged him?"

"I think he loves you," the Gate Keeper said quietly.

Sakura's entire thought process stalled, shutting down in an effort not to think about the stag's words. 

Because if she thought about them, she might believe them. And she didn't want to believe them; she didn't want to expose herself to that kind of pain again. She'd deluded herself once, flown high and far and recklessly on her self-made wings...but they'd melted like Icarus', and she'd fallen.

And the fall had been a hard, brutal one, the impact resonating in her bones even now, making her reluctant to try for the sky again.

_'Hypocrite,'_ she thought to herself. _'After what you said to Sasuke in the Otherworld...'_

But pain like that wasn't easily forgotten, and she'd rather err on the side of caution than risk losing what little she already had.

"I don't think so," she said at last. "It...it might look like that, but believe me, hell will freeze over before Sasuke falls in love with me."

The Gate Keeper merely nodded.

"If you have to merge with Haevyn," he began. "If there is no other choice...will you do what the land demands?"

"I'll do what's right, yes," Sakura said, turning back to look over the village once more.

The Gate Keeper stared at her shrewdly, before saying gently, "But not for the land."

"You're right," Sakura agreed. "I might have Haevyn's essence – I might be the physical manifestation of the land itself – but I don't feel what you feel; I can't place the land above everything else. Yes, I'll do what's needed...but I won't do it for the land."

She gave a soft, bittersweet laugh. "The first thing you have to learn about me is that I can be very stupid when it comes to the people I love...but I can also be very loyal. Stupidly, recklessly, suicidally loyal. I won't die for the land...but I'll die for the people I love."

Her eyes moved back to his. "Does that answer your question?"

Another nod from the Gate Keeper, his eyes sombre. "Come with me, and we shall work on fine-tuning your current control of your abilities."

Sakura nodded, and she and the Faerie stag left the mountaintop.

-xxx-

When Cohen had informed them that Sakura had yet to merge with the goddess, and that doing so would place her own soul at risk, Naruto and Sasuke had vanished, presumably to find Sakura, while Kakashi had stayed behind to ask Cohen something that had been bothering him. If what she'd done to ascend (that, according to the Faerie Lord, wasn't even a real merging) had drained her so severely, what would she be like when all this was over?

"Suppose Sakura can survive a merging...what toll will her powers take on her?"

The Faerie Lord seemed to think on it for a moment. "It is likely she will be unable to continue in her current career," he said at last. "Consider that Daughter of the Land could feel the deaths of the Uchiha clan half a village away...could she continue to be a ninja, when every death around her brings her pain?"

A little shaken at the idea his former student could no longer be a kunoichi, Kakashi tried, "There's always the hospital..."

"Hardly a better option," Cohen said quietly. "In fact, probably worse. She would be surrounded by people in pain, people dying slowly...I give her two weeks before she is driven mad."

He sighed softly, staring off into the distance. "Even if she can gain control over her senses...you may find that she still cannot stay in Konoha. Even if her work doesn't push her into insanity, her connection to the land means she is called by it, longing for the wild places of the world where human feet have yet to tread. She has probably done so for most of her life, but with her powers sealed it would have been much dimmer than it is now, and the love she bore her friends and family was far stronger. But after this...you may find that the call of the land is stronger than her love."

The Faerie Lord paused for a moment to allow Kakashi to absorb that, then continued, "In any case, she may be happier away from Konoha anyway. Her powers are so extreme that even in a ninja village, she will be regarded as a freak at best, a monster at worst. But in the wild places of the world, the land will welcome her like a long-lost child, and she will never feel like an outcast."

Cohen shook his head, as though suddenly clearing it of his darker thoughts. "But we should not be worrying about her future; let us first concern ourselves with whether she will survive to have a future."

"She's Haevyn's vessel, though," Kakashi pointed out. "She contains healing energy, not destructive power...surely that means her powers aren't going to be so hard on her?"

"Do not delude yourself, Kakashi; Haevyn may be far more benevolent than Skwall, but she is still a goddess...and to her, we are nothing but pawns. Sakura's entire life has been lived for only one purpose, and do you think Haevyn cares if she is destroyed in the process? No, because her concern is far greater than one human life; her concern is the struggle with Skwall. Once her tool has served its purpose, it can crumble to dust."

-xxx-

Sakura grinned as she stirred the river with her powers, creating whirlpools and fountains of water that sparkled as they reflected the sunlight.

"Water is a very pliant medium," the Gate Keeper told her, "And manipulation of it is a good way to fine-tune your control."

Sakura nodded absently, urging the liquid to rise and curl towards the land, bending over her like a shimmering veil. The thin, watery cocoon hovered just above the ground, like a wave that would never break.

"That's so cool!" Naruto exclaimed loudly as Hinata smiled.

Sakura dipped her hand into it, delighting in the feel of the cool water, laughing a little at the sheer impossibility of what she was doing. No matter how many times she had done this – or something like it – there was still a part of her mind that was in awe.

Then she flicked her fingers, and the water crashed back into the river.

She and the Gate Keeper had spent the better part of the morning at the river, where Sakura had spent hours manipulating the water. It wasn't particularly tiring, but practicing using her abilities like this helped her gain a greater understanding of her power. She didn't think it was a good way to prepare for her next tangle with Itachi (manipulating water, even vast quantities of it, was practically effortless now) but the Gate Keeper had recommended it. And considering that he'd seen many vessels do battle with Skwall, she decided she should probably trust him on this.

They'd been joined about half an hour ago by Naruto and Hinata, who were a very appreciative audience for displays of Faerie magic.

"Good," the Gate Keeper praised her quietly. "It is no strain for you to manipulate great quantities of water. Is there any particular ability that has only recently appeared or that you have difficulty with?"

Sakura raised her hand and tried to use a power she'd only recently discovered she had. She pointed her fingers into the branches of a nearby tree, where she could feel a dozen or so sparrows were roosting, and sent out a silent call.

The flock rose into the air as one and flew to settle in front of her, apparently undisturbed by the presence of Naruto and Hinata beside her.

"Oh..." Hinata breathed in wonder, staring at the tiny birds that littered the ground.

"Awesome!" Naruto grinned.

Hinata's hand uncurled slowly, her fingers drifting towards one of the sparrows before she seemed to remember herself and dropped her hand.

Sakura smiled, held out her hand and allowed the bird to hop onto it, before she held it out towards Hinata. "Hold out your hands."

Hinata did so, and Sakura gently urged the bird into her friend's palm. The Hyuuga beamed, holding the tiny creature at eye level as she stroked its feathery chest with a gentle finger.

"Me too, me too!" Naruto insisted, child-like in his eagerness as he held out his hands. "Can I hold a bird too, Sakura?"

The half-nymph giggled as she passed a bird to Naruto, pleased at the delight that suffused his features as he watched the sparrow hop across his palm, cheeping softly.

The moment was broken when Naruto's stomach growled like an angry bear.

The blonde gave an embarrassed grin. "Lunchtime?"

"For you, at least," Sakura muttered, then raised her voice to address the Gate Keeper. "I know you Faerie don't need to eat, but can I break for lunch?"

He gave her a grave look and a solemn nod that Sakura took to be agreement.

"Ichiraku?" Naruto asked enthusiastically, letting the bird fly away from his hands as he stood.

"Do we ever go anywhere else?" Sakura muttered as Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand and helped her up. "Sometimes I think the owner could get by with what money he makes from us alone."

The Gate Keeper watched them leave, two humans and one half-human, grinning and laughing as they headed for lunch.

The Faerie stag remained by the river, staring into the water as though it could somehow offer an opinion on the battle to come. 

He knew Daughter of the Land was powerful, but he didn't know how much of that was her own strength and how much of it was Haevyn's. While he had been encouraging in front of the other humans, the truth was that he doubted she could defeat Skwall if she did not fully merge with Haevyn before they faced each other again. It was only the element of surprise that had allowed her to gain the upper hand so swiftly in their last struggle, and that advantage was gone now. In spite of the fact that Daemons would not fare well when struggling against those in Konoha, there was phenomenal power to be had in fully merging with a god...power Daughter of the Land had not even begun to tap.

The Gate Keeper feared that, even with her advantages on the battlefield, Haevyn's vessel would be unable to win unless she surrendered herself to the goddess.

Something shifted on the edge of his senses, bringing him out of his thoughts, and the stag turned to face the human that had emerged from the trees.

"Nightbringer," he acknowledged quietly.

Sasuke wasn't quite sure how to word his question, but he wanted to know if there was some way to prevent Sakura from having to merge with Haevyn. He and the Gate Keeper were far from close, but he had a greater understanding of Haevyn than any of the other Faerie, and he would know what was possible and what wasn't.

"Is there any way to undo it?" he said at last. "Is there any way to separate Sakura and Haevyn?"

"Haevyn and Skwall have both taken a vessel," the Gate Keeper told him. "To return one to the tree would be to invite the disintegration of the Otherworld and the Elseworld...and thus, this realm also."

Sasuke hesitated for only a moment. "Could it be...transferred, somehow?"

The stag regarded him gravely. "You are asking if someone can take her place...if someone else can risk his soul with Haevyn's essence."

The Uchiha nodded.

The Gate Keeper snorted. "Who, you?"

Sasuke didn't answer directly. "In the Academy, we're told that the lives of our comrades are always of equal value to our own. But when you actually become a ninja, you learn differently. In reality, some lives are worth more than others. And I know that Sakura's is worth a hell of a lot more than mine. If I died, there would be maybe three people who would be genuinely sorry to see me go. If she died...you'd have practically the entire village in mourning."

The Gate Keeper nodded, appearing to accept Sasuke's view of the world without question. "That may be true, Nightbringer, but the vessel cannot be changed. Daughter of the Land was very carefully engineered for this, and Haevyn will accept no other."

"She deserves better."

"Oh, indeed. I have come to know who Daughter of the Land truly is over these past weeks, and I think we can all agree that she deserves better. But people rarely get what they truly deserve."

Sasuke thought truer words had never been spoken, but he wasn't going to tell the Gate Keeper that.

"Though it is interesting," the Gate Keeper mused. "That it was also engineered to ensure that while she has friends and allies...if Daughter of the Land is truly lost, she will leave no deastated lover behind."

Sasuke was a little surprised at the swift thrill of cold rage that rose inside him, but only a little. "What do you mean?"

"Simply that she fell in love with someone who would, in all probability, never look beyond himself and his own desires."

The barbed comment flew right over Sasuke's head as he began to realise what the Gate Keeper was hinting at. "Are you saying that Sakura...that her...crush...on me...was engineered by Haevyn?"

He could barely keep himself from snarling the words, he was so furious, and he swore that if the Gate Keeper confirmed his suspicion he would kill something. Sakura's affection for him had brought her nothing pain and heartbreak, and if this Faerie told him that had been a deliberate, calculated attempt to scar her enough so that she wouldn't dare to try another intimate relationship before she was twenty...

He tried not to admit that he was angry because it hurt to think that what Sakura felt for him was fake.

"I am only guessing," the Gate Keeper said mildly. "Do not distress yourself."

He could read the human's aura like a book; he was lashing out because of his anguish at the idea that Daughter of the Land's regard might not have truly been _her_ regard. 

Sasuke turned on his heel and strode away without a word of goodbye. He just wanted to find a few practice dummies to demolish.

And it never occurred to him that Sakura had admitted to her crush starting before Itachi's kidnapping attempt, before his bargain with Skwall...and before Haevyn rested within her and could have manipulated her emotions.

-xxx-

"So why was he making you work with the water?" Hinata asked Sakura after they had finished their lunch. At least, the two women had finished; Naruto was still going strong. Despite the medical improbability of it, sometimes Sakura wondered if the blonde's stomach really was bottomless.

"It's meant to improve my control," she told Hinata. "I haven't really merged with Haevyn, and the fact that I'm half-human might mean I'll never be able to. So, in case that proves true, the Gate Keeper has me working on deepening and strengthening my powers to try to compensate for it."

"Tha fing wih ha sfarrows wa reahy nead," Naruto piped up.

Sakura blinked. "What?"

The blonde swallowed his mouthful of ramen and repeated, "That thing with the sparrows was really neat...can the other Faerie do that?"

"Wargs can do it with canines, pixies with insects, centaurs with horses, selkies with seals..." Sakura rattled off. "But as far as I know, Cohen's the only one who can do it across the animal kingdom...besides me, obviously."

"Could any..." Naruto hesitated for a second, then ploughed forward, "Could any of the other vessels do that?"

Sakura shrugged. "The Gate Keeper and Cohen don't tell me much about them, and I don't really want to ask. They've hinted that what they've seen of my power surpasses the other vessels, but that's probably because I've taken on a lot more of Haevyn's essence that anyone else since...well, ever."

"Will this be...will this be the end, then?" Hinata asked, then swiftly clarified, "Of the cycle, I mean. If you and Itachi have all of the gods' essence within you...will this decide it once and for all?"

That gave Sakura pause. She had never really considered the idea that this might end it all; that she and Itachi might mark the end of the struggle. Mainly because the idea that her defeat would mean the apocalypse was absolutely terrifying, and at the moment she really didn't need any more responsibility heaped on her shoulders.

Sakura had told herself that, in spite of what it might seem like, she was just another pawn, one of the several Haevyn had used over the centuries to keep Skwall in line. 

But what if she was wrong?

Strangely, the thought didn't inspire fear. Instead, the half-nymph felt something akin to anticipation, the slight apprehension that gripped you when you felt you were on the cusp of something momentous.

For the first time, Sakura realised she could walk another path. She could be like the many others before her; she could go through the motions, subdue Skwall, let the wheel turn and the cycle start all over again...or she could find a way to break it. 

Everyone and everything had a time to die...why should gods be any exception?

-xxx-

Sasuke had never really ventured into the Uchiha vaults deep below the mansion. They were dark, cold, and unsettling silent, holding nothing but shelves of dusty scrolls and ancient tomes. They always left him feeling strangely empty, the same sort of half-longing, half-regret he felt when he walked past the empty houses in the Uchiha compound.

But it didn't feel empty now.

"_Echo!_" Sakura yelled into the cave-like room, apparently just for the pleasure of hearing her voice roll back to her, amplified and distorted.

Sasuke winced. "Can you stop doing that?"

"Make me," she retorted cheekily, with a grin so bright and bubbly it made his chest ache.

Sasuke decided that people would certainly be hard-pressed to find a room solemn and empty with Sakura in it.

"Any idea where we start?" he asked, eyeing the towering shelves around them.

"No idea," Sakura said, just as cheerfully as before.

She had been thinking about ending the cycle for several days now, wondering if it was even possible to entirely destroy Skwall if the previous vessels had never managed it. Eventually, reasoning that if Itachi had found a reference to Skwall in the clan scrolls, there might be something about weaknesses in there too, she'd trotted into the Uchiha compound and asked Sasuke to take a look at the underground library.

Sakura knew it was a bit of a long shot, but at the moment it was the only shot she had.

"Is there any sort of order to these?" she asked, gazing at the rows upon rows of scrolls and books.

Sasuke shrugged. "Probably."

"You're not helping," Sakura growled.

This was the first time she'd spoken to Sasuke since the incident on the Hokage monument, and she was pleased at how normal the conversation sounded. At least, normal for Sasuke. When she'd first approached him, she hadn't know what to expect – mainly because she still didn't know what the hell had gotten into him on the cliff. But he had acted like the incident hadn't happened, and a bewildered Sakura decided to simply follow his lead. Not that it was difficult; she didn't know what had happened, so simply dismissing it as a moment of strange behaviour brought on by too little sleep or food was quite easy.

"Why didn't you bring anyone else?" Sasuke asked as the half-Faerie began to scan the shelves, glancing at titles in the hope one would seem more promising than the others.

"Naruto and Hinata are talking to Hiashi about the engagement," she answered absently. "Neji and Tenten are off in the brand-new-relationship state of bliss, Shino and Kiba are off training, I couldn't find Kakashi, and Ino, Shikamaru and Chouji are working with Hatchling..."

"I get the point."

Seeing a very old, very thick text that had _'The First Uchihas' _written along the spine in peeling silvery writing, Sakura grinned and yanked it out of the shelf. 

Then she realised her error in grabbing ancient books that probably hadn't been cleaned or moved in at least a decade. Dust poured down like water, smothering her in a cloud of grime.

She caught a snort over her own coughing and spluttering, and she glared at Sasuke, who was smirking at her and looking very amused.

"Shut up and make yourself useful," Sakura grumbled. "Grab some of the scrolls and let's get to work."

"It's my house," Sasuke said, apparently protesting her ordering him around even as he moved to do as he had been told.

"I outrank you."

"You do not."

"I'm a goddess," she said loftily. "I outrank everyone. Now get researching or I'll turn you into a frog."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, managing to somehow look colossally unimpressed even as he asked, "Could you really do that?"

"Probably," Sakura admitted. "Most of the Faerie don't have that extreme level of control over another's essence...but I'm Haevyn's vessel, and most of the rules don't apply to me."

Sasuke scowled, his mood turning dark as he found it often did when he thought of Haevyn and Sakura being Haevyn's vessel and all such a role demanded.

"But I wouldn't do it," Sakura continued. "Mainly because I'm not sure what would happen when they were turned back or even if I could turn them back without incident. And no matter that many fairytales often have a seen of truth or warning in them, I don't think a kiss can actually transform someone."

Another amused snort from Sasuke, and Sakura's inner devil couldn't resist adding, "Though I suppose it couldn't hurt to try. What do you think – want me to kiss you and see if you change into a frog?"

She expected Sasuke to snort again, but when she looked up she found what she'd privately deemed to be _that look_ on his face. That charged, unreadable expression that never made any sense to her no matter how many times she saw it.

"So...let's get to work then," Sakura said over the sudden, heavy silence that had dragged on a bit too long to be comfortable. 

She didn't bother to drag the book upstairs into the house proper; she just sat down on the stone floor and began leafing through the pages. After a moment, she heard Sasuke do the same.

And then there was nothing but the sound of their breathing and the rustle of papers, the soft sounds echoing eerily off the walls.

-xxx-

It was just like any other training session...well, almost.

Because this time, when Tenten grinned at him, sweaty and tired and exultant, Neji didn't have to fight the urge to yank her into his arms; he could indulge in it.

Tenten didn't resist; on the contrary, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him enthusiastically. 

"You know," she mumbled when they parted for air, "If every training session is going to end this way, we should have them more often."

"Perhaps every hour?" Neji suggested.

"But our training usually takes at least two..."

"Every two hours then?"

Tenten suddenly went stiff, and at first Neji was afraid he'd done something wrong...until he realised exactly what had made her freeze like that. 

They had a rather avid audience in the form of Hyuuga Hanabi, who was staring at them with undisguised interest.

"Don't mind me," she remarked casually. "I just came to see Neji."

Tenten groaned, ducking her head in an attempt to hide her blushing face in her boyfriend's shirt. Neji didn't blush, but his jaw did clench visibly.

"What is it...Lady Hanabi?" he asked, as though the respectful form of address burned his throat.

"I'm just giving you a heads-up about Father's reaction to Hinata's engagement," Hanabi relayed. "He isn't happy. A couple of the council members are practically having fits."

Neji smirked, as though he felt they should leave the council members to their convulsions of outrage. Hanabi couldn't deny she felt the same, though she was a little concerned over her father's attitude.

Eventually, Neji sighed, shaking his head. "Do you think he'll call a council?"

Hanabi shrugged. "He might. I'm not sure how much of this is genuine anger and how much of it is fatherly protectiveness – 'he's stealing my daughter' – and all that."

Hanabi's cousin sighed again, and she could see his reluctance to leave the brunette woman he was holding written in every line of his body.

Until Tenten nudged him gently in the chest, peeling herself away from him. "Go on, go try to talk to Hiashi or whatever you think will calm him down a bit, and if he doesn't call a council, come over to my place for dinner."

Hanabi saw the rare satisfied smile that spread slowly across Neji's features and couldn't help but grin herself. She'd had never thought there was anything that could make her cousin as genuinely, completely happy as he had been for the past few days, but apparently Tenten could. She'd always thought the weapon-user was good for him.

She knew this state of bliss would last a few weeks at most, before the usual relationship problems and obstacles cropped up, but Hanabi didn't find the prospect sad or alarming.

After all, judging by the way they were looking at each other, neither Neji or Tenten were planning on letting the other slip away from them anytime soon.

-xxx-

Two hours in, Sakura was finally beginning to hope that she'd found something probative. It was an old scroll that had been nestled out of sight behind some books, and while it bore no title or date or even an indication of who had written it, there were distinct references to the gift of a 'dark man', that sounded suspiciously like a rather theatrical retelling of Skwall gifting the Sharingan. Not to mention writings of a 'shadow world' and the 'black fruit of immortality'.

"Check this one out," she announced, shoving the scroll under Sasuke's nose. "It seemed like a bunch of fancy and fairytales initially, but if you take note of all the 'dark man's and things like that, it practically spells out how to get to Skwall, and what kind of power he can bring."

She jabbed at the parchment with her finger. "And down here, it makes a reference to spilling Faerie blood to reach the 'last gate', which I'm going to assume is the Deepest Well. At least that explains why he tried to kidnap me."

Sasuke frowned at the idea as Sakura unrolled the scroll a little more...and then suddenly froze.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked, leaning over her shoulder to peer at the ink picture she had just revealed...and then he too, went still in shock.

Two people faced each other across a stretch of open ground, one with their feet flat to the earth, the other apparently hovering above it. It was old and faded, the features of the people distorted with age, but this much could be made out; the figure hovering was a man wrapped in a cloak, and the person on the ground was a woman with waist-length hair, clad in a flowing gown.

Below, in artistic, cursive script, were written the words; _'shadows cannot exist without light to cast them, and light cannot exist without casting shadows. Without sorrow, there is no happiness, without pain, no pleasure, and without hate, there is no love'_.

"This...this looks like me and Itachi," Sakura whispered, as though frightened to say it aloud, her fingers tracing the blurred features of the female figure.

Sasuke could only stare. This scroll had been written centuries ago...how could anyone have drawn this? How could anyone have known what Itachi and Sakura's confrontation had looked like?

Unless Haevyn or Skwall had done something, left more of their footprints through Konoha's history.

Sakura's eyes roved over the words, drinking them in, their meaning slowly taking shape in her mind like clay being moulded.

This...this was saying that everything had to have an opposite. This was saying that when the final battle dawned...either both Haevyn and Skwall survived...or neither survived. One couldn't die alone; they each needed each other in the same way light and shadows did. It had to be both, or none.

Something inside her sank at the thought, but Sakura was careful not to let any of her thoughts show on her face.

Sasuke seemed strangely fascinated by the picture, but Sakura unrolled the scroll a little further, to the very end, in an effort find something else written there that would keep her mind off the words scrawled below the mysterious inking.

And she found two sentences written at the very end of the scroll, _'Do what no one else has done before. The gift of your blood is meant to be used.'_

Sakura was feeling more and more like this was some sort of ploy by Haevyn, as though the goddess was laying a trail of breadcrumbs to try to lead her in the right direction.

Not that she didn't appreciate the effort, but could the goddess have been a little less cryptic about it?

"What does that mean?" Sasuke asked roughly, glaring at the parchment as though it were personally responsible for this confusion.

"I don't know," Sakura mused, biting her lip a little as she puzzled it out in her mind. "I don't know if I could do anything that hasn't been done before, anyway. My chakra control is unusual, but not unique. My Faerie magic is strong, but my powers aren't unheard of; there's Cohen. And it's not like I'm the first vessel Haevyn's ever had. Unless..."

She trailed off, and Sasuke resisted the urge to swear in frustration, settling for prompting, as gently as he could, "Unless what?"

"Unless it's because Haevyn has put so much of herself into me, the same way Skwall has with Itachi. I mean, when the gods take vessels, there's usually a portion of their essence left on the tree, but this time...this time it seems as though they're both a lot more...a lot more invested, for lack of a better word."

Sakura tried not to think about this reinforcement of the idea that this was indeed the final struggle, and didn't want to consider what would happen if that cryptic scrawl proved true. Would both she and Itachi have to die to finally rid the realms of Haevyn's and Skwall desperate, eternal struggle?

Sakura knew that sounded rather melodramatic, but her life had been feeling increasingly melodramatic lately, so she supposed she was allowed to indulge in it now and then.

She checked the time, almost idly, and found herself starting at how late it was.

"I better go," she said, rolling up the scroll and getting to her feet. "Mum wants to get the house ready for when Dad comes home tomorrow."

Sasuke could detect the apprehension in her voice, and he knew where it stemmed from. When Sotaro returned, Sakura would have to explain to him why there were Faerie all throughout Konoha, and why they all looked at her like she was their messiah. And to explain that...meant that she would have to tell him about Haevyn's manipulation, and Sasuke thought that, on some level, Sakura feared her father's reaction more than she'd feared her mother's.

Because while she might love them both equally...it was Sotaro who had been her constant. Sotaro who had cooked dinner eleven months a year, Sotaro who had hung up the washing and nagged her to clean her room, Sotaro she had run to with skinned knees and stubbed toes, Sotaro who had organised her birthday parties and tended to her when she was ill.

And the prospect of that constant changing somehow was terrifying.

-xxx-

"...so your dad was really mad?"

"A little," Hinata admitted, sliding her hand over his. "He'll get over it."

After Hiashi's less-than-stellar reaction to their news, the young couple had wandered to a park to prepare themselves to deal with a potentially rocky obstacle, and they were now sitting on a bench, Hinata's head on Naruto's shoulder and his chin resting atop her hair.

"Yeah...I just hope he gets over it soon, you know?"

Hinata nodded, slipping her arms around Naruto's waist as his came to rest on her shoulders.

It was a long time before Naruto spoke again, his voice soft and hesitant as though he were afraid of the answer of to his question. "Hinata, do you think that his reaction had anything to do with...anything to do with...you know...the Kyuubi?"

For a moment, Hinata considered lying to him. But Naruto had never been anything less than honest with her, and she couldn't do any less for him.

"I don't know...maybe."

The blonde frowned, and Hinata tightened her hold on him. "Don't worry," she said quietly. "You know it doesn't matter to me, and Father...Father will just have to get over it!"

Naruto's lips twitched at her defiant tone, and his arm tightened on her shoulders.

-xxx-

Cohen rarely had prophetic dreams. And seeing as he'd already had one – the cryptic vision that hinted at Sakura's role in Haevyn and Skwall's struggle – he had not expected another for at least fifty years.

But that night, he was surprised by his second prophetic vision.

_Cohen always knew when he was having one of 'those' dreams; it always seemed so much different to a usual dream. For one, he was aware that he was dreaming, and for another...they just felt different. Deeper, richer, as though it were merely the first layer of some intricate tapestry._

_This time, he wasn't in the Deepest Well...he didn't know where he was, but it had obviously been a human city of some sort once. The buildings were lying in piles of rubble around him, none higher than two meters, devoid of any identifying features._

_He made his way down what had probably once been a path, but was now nothing but riven stones and barren earth. He followed a river, the water choked with black poison, the shattered husks of trees and bushes lining the banks. There was no grass on the ground; nothing but a fine layer of ash and soot covering the bare dirt._

_The remnants of a bridge, broken to kindling in the middle, dangled into the water like fishing lines for some monstrous creature._

_And it was then Cohen realised where he was. The crumbling buildings, the polluted river, the burnt, hollowed trees...this was Konoha. This was the village of the Hidden Leaf, destroyed and lifeless._

_Or was it? Something flickered at the edge of his vision, something white and pink; a startling contrast to the grey and black around him. He turned. _

_Sakura was walking through the trees._

_The half-nymph looked very out of place – a small, bright-coloured woman in a sea of darkness and death – but she seemed to be paying no attention to her surroundings._

_Surroundings which were getting brighter by the moment, Cohen realised._

_The ground where Sakura had stepped flushed suddenly, almost painfully green as grass shoots shot from the earth like springs. And like a ripple in a still pool, the flash of green grew, expanding across the cracked earth like an unfurling blanket, carpeting it in grass and flowers. The burnt trees suddenly burst into health, bark growing thick on their scarred trunk, fruit and flowers sprouting on the branches that were suddenly heavy with leaves once more. The river suddenly washed cleaned and sparkling, as though someone had simply plucked the poison from it like they were removing a layer of cloth._

_As Sakura walked through the land, it healed itself behind her._

_Cohen wanted to call out to her, but it was like his vocal chords were frozen; he couldn't even whisper her name._

_The green healing washed over the land around him...and then suddenly stopped. The carpet of grass and flowers ceased to move forward as abruptly as if it had hit an invisible wall. Sakura stared at the bleak, blasted wasteland that lay beyond her living land..._

_And Cohen saw something move in the trees._

_Itachi stepped out from the ruined trees, his eyes alight with sadistic glee._

_Cohen tried to go to Sakura, but found he couldn't move. Whatever this dream was trying to tell him, it was clear he was only here to witness this, not to interact with the events in any way._

_Sakura and Itachi stared at each other, as though in a silent clash of wills. Yin and yang, light and shadow, their wills met and clashed across the boundary of life and death drawn in the soil._

_And then, as though some sort of accord had been reached, Sakura stepped away from the grass and into Skwall's world of poison and ashes._

_Cohen wanted to shout, to lunge for her and drag her back. He knew – without knowing exactly how he knew – that something horrific was about to happen._

_Sakura turned to face him, her back now to Skwall, and he was brought up short by the expression on her face. A soft smile hovered on her lips, as if it were too timid to truly land, but her eyes...they were a terrible, stunning mix of resignation, sorrow, satisfaction, regret, love...and a hint of triumph._

_She could have been a statue of some ancient martyr; tragic and noble yet frighteningly beautiful in her blind determination and faith._

_Itachi reached out, his arm sliding around her waist like a snake, and jerked her against him._

_Sakura didn't so much as blink._

_The hand at her waist moved up her body to tangle in her hair, pulling the strands taut and forcing her head to tilt back, exposing her neck._

_Something sharp glinted in Itachi's other hand, a silvery blade whose edge caught the light with a vicious gleam._

_Cohen strained to move, to help her, afraid that if he witnessed this in his dream it would truly come to pass..._

_But Sakura's eyes remained on his, and she spoke for the first time. "Sometimes loss is the surest route to victory."_

_And she craned her head back even further, baring her throat for Itachi's blade._

_It sliced into her flesh, opening the great veins and arteries that lay so close to the surface...but it wasn't blood that emerged from Sakura's rent skin._

_It was light. White and pure and blinding. Cohen wanted to blink, to close his eyes as the light washed over Sakura and Itachi, pouring towards him like a river of sunlight..._

_It enfolded him, eclipsing the world, washing him in light and sensation. It was like being enfolded in warm, loving arms, like something greater than you was promising protection and healing. Like being born anew..._

_And then the light faded..._

_To reveal a healed Konoha. The buildings stood tall and proud, as though they had never fallen. The trees and grass were renewed, no longer held back by the barrier of Skwall's hate, and even though he glanced in every direction, Cohen didn't find the slightest trace of the previous devastation, not even the faintest flake of ash._

_There was no Itachi._

_But there was no Sakura, either._

Cohen woke with a gasp half-lodged in his throat, his mind still seeing the renewed, rejuvenated Konoha that was bare of both Itachi and Sakura even as his eyes registered the stars above him.

He slowly sat up from his position on the grassy hilltop, trying to puzzle out the meaning of his dream. It seemed rather more foreboding and violent than his last one, and while the meaning seemed clear; Sakura was going to have to die to protect Konoha...there was still something nagging at him.

Sakura's words in the dream. They didn't make sense.

_Sometimes loss is the surest route to victory._

What did that mean? Was Sakura going to have to die to defend the people she loved...

Or did it mean that she only needed to be willing to make the sacrifice?

-xxx-

"_Would you stop doing that?_" Shikamaru bellowed over the wind as Ino leaned out dangerously over Hatchling's neck, eyes riveted on the ground below them. "_If you fall-!_"

"Stop worrying!" Ino chided. "My balance has gotten pretty good these past months – watch this!"

With that, she dropped the reins and stood straight up in the saddle, her arms outstretched like a child walking a balance beam.

"_INO!_" Shikamaru yelled, seizing her around the waist and yanking her back down into the saddle. 

"Don't have a stroke," the blonde grumbled. "I'm fine."

Shikamaru's heart – which seemed to have leapt straight through his nose when Ino had stood up – was pounding so hard he could feel it in every part of his body. Did Ino somehow not realise she was perched rather precariously on the back of a dragon hovering dozens of feet above the ground?

_'I'm in love with a crazy woman,'_ he told himself, with a sense of fatalistic resignation.

"This is beyond troublesome," he muttered.

"What is it with you and that word?" Ino wondered, rolling her eyes.

It seemed to be a rhetorical question, so Shikamaru didn't bother answering it. He settled for winding his arms around her waist, gripping more tightly than he had since his first flight, wary of any more attempts at acrobatics while they were in the air.

"Do you see that?" Ino asked, leaning over Hatching's neck – with considerably more restraint this time, Shikamaru was pleased to note.

The Nara twisted around in the saddle, glimpsing a small group of people below them. Ino tugged on the reins, guiding Hatchling into a turn and then into a lower sweep as she tried to identify the individuals in the group.

She didn't recognise most of them, but they were wearing Konoha forehead protectors and carrying the usual ninja trappings; kunai holders, shuriken pouches and the like.

The leader looked up as Hatching's shadow passed over him, starting at the sight of the dragon and reaching for his weapons.

And it was then that Ino recognised him.

"Hi, Mr. Haruno!" she yelled down, waving enthusiastically.

Sotaro's hands relaxed their grip on his weapons as he stared at the grinning blonde and exasperated man on the dragon's back, obviously recognising them as Sakura's friends but finding his mind completely unable to come up with a reason as to why they were on a dragon's back.

But one of his hands lifted weakly, returning her wave.

Ino grinned, then turned Hatchling back for Konoha, ready to inform the Hokage that some of her people were finally returning.

-xxx-

Sotaro and his retinue had been dispatched to a rather sparse region of Fire Country to quell some bandits – they'd been away for months because it had taken them that long to root the bandits out. And their remote location meant that they'd remained ignorant of the Daemons' attacks on their home village.

Sotaro had taken the news rather well, Sakura thought. At least, the news about Skwall attacking and why the Faerie were in Konoha. He'd been very polite (if a bit overwhelmed) when Mikiko had introduced him to the Gate Keeper and the Faerie Lord...but Sakura knew that was no indication of how he would take the news that his life had been deliberately manipulated to birth a daughter who would become Haevyn's vessel.

She wondered if she should wait to tell him, then promptly decided it was better to give him all the shocks at once.

"Dad...I have something to tell you."

-xxx-

_AN: Thanks again to justcallmefaye for beta-ing._


	22. When Light And Shadow Meet

**Chapter 22**

**When Light And Shadow Meet  
**

"...so now Sakura has no real idea what she has to do, only that she has to do something no one else has done before," Ino finished, idly scratching Hatching's chin as the dragon practically purred in contentment. "Pretty heavy, huh?"

"But there have been other vessels, right?" Chouji said. "At least, you said Sakura told you there had been others."

Ino nodded. "Yeah...but they only took on a portion of Haevyn; Sakura's taken on all of the goddess."

Shikamaru was frowning, his eyes unfocused as he turned the concept over in his head. "Sakura is the first half-Faerie, right?"

"Yeah..." Ino said slowly, obviously wondering where he was going with this.

But Shikamaru didn't elaborate, just continued following his train of thought. There had been vessels before...but there had never been a half-Faerie before. From what Ino had told them, Haevyn's cryptic words planted in those old Uchiha scrolls told Sakura to use the gift of her blood...what could she mean by that?

Realisation practically clubbed him over the head. "Chakra!"

Ino and Chouji blinked at him. "What?"

"Chakra!" Shikamaru repeated. "That's what makes Sakura unique among all Haevyn's vessels; the ability to control chakra! When she was telling us what Haevyn had done...she said Mikiko was deliberately chosen for her magic power...and Sotaro was chosen for his chakra control."

His eyes rose and locked with his friends'. "We know that chakra hurts Daemons...but has anyone actually tried to find out why?"

There was a brief pause while Ino and Chouji processed that.

"You're a genius!" Ino suddenly shrieked, flinging her arms around him and kissing his cheek. "I have to tell Sakura!"

And just as quickly, she was gone, Hatchling actually taking flight to follow her.

Shikamaru stared after her, his eyes glazed, his fingers running over the cheek she had kissed.

"You've got it bad," Chouji snickered. "I should turn you into the hospital, you're so lovesick."

"Very funny," Shikamaru drawled.

"Though it might not be one-sided, you know," Chouji mused. "When we went on scouting flights, Ino never let _me_ get away with holding her waist."

-xxx-

Sakura dug enthusiastically into her soup, listening to her mother and father argue about the amount of salt they'd added. Sotaro insisted it had been too little, while Mikiko was convinced it had been too much.

She was doing her very best not to laugh out loud with sheer relief.

In spite of what her mother had told her, Sakura had been absolutely terrified of telling her father about Haevyn and the role the Faerie goddess had played in their lives. While she knew Sotaro loved her, knew it was stupid of her to think otherwise...some part of her mind had told her that he would feel differently about her after she'd told him of Haevyn's plot.

But like Mikiko, Sotaro had taken the news surprisingly well. Her father and mother had always been eternal optimists (considering what they'd gone through simply to build a life together, they would have to be), and both seemed to look at what they'd gained from the manipulation.

"You've always been my special girl," Sotaro had told her, as though she were ten years old again. "But it seems even I didn't realise how special you are."

Sakura smiled to herself, standing to answer the door as the bell chimed through the house.

Ino was standing on her front step, practically bouncing on the spot in her eagerness.

"It's chakra!" she shrieked as soon as Sakura's face peered around the door.

The half-nymph blinked. "Huh?"

"Shikamaru figured it out," Ino explained. "That whole 'the gift of your blood' thing that you told me about; it's chakra! That's what makes you different from all of Haevyn's other vessels. You're half-human!"

Sakura stared, amazed that she hadn't thought of that before. She'd been so focused on her Faerie powers that she'd never really considered the possibility that chakra could have been just as important. But Ino – well, _Shikamaru_ – was right; she had been engineered to be half-human as much as she was made to be half-Faerie.

Faerie magic was necessary to forge her first connection with the land...but why was chakra needed?

Now that she knew, it seemed blindingly obvious, and the medic wondered how she could have overlooked it for so long.

"So chakra is the key," Ino continued. "Oh yeah, and Shikamaru asked if anyone knows why chakra hurts Daemons. I figured you'd know, if anyone did."

"I don't know why chakra hurts them," Sakura admitted. "I mean, I'm sure Haevyn knew,but I don't get everything she knows. I get some, but the rest...it's like my own mind blots out parts of hers."

"So no one knows why chakra hurts them..." Ino mused, sounding disappointed. "Well...any ideas how we could find out?"

-xxx-

"This is dangerous," Sasuke commented, scowling up at the towering dragon.

He, Sakura, Naruto and Ino were in a clearing about a mile from Konoha, where Sakura was going to experiment with Hatchling in an attempt to determine why chakra was so valuable an asset to Haevyn's vessel. The dragon was going to blast Sakura with her black breath, which Sakura would attempt to turn away with chakra, and then...then they'd go from there.

But the backwash of black breath was potentially dangerous, so Sakura had chosen to perform it quite a distance from Konoha.

"Which is why you're here," Sakura countered, gesturing to include Naruto and Ino in her statement. The blondes were a short distance away, standing with Hatchling. "It's not like I'm planning on doing this solo. After all, if I get careless, the Faerie can lose a god, Konoha will lose a healer, Mum and Dad will lose a daughter, Ino will lose her best friend, Naruto will lose his pseudo-sister, and you'll lose..." Sakura stopped, frowning as she appeared to think it over. "I don't know...what would you lose, Sasuke? What am I to you?"

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Sakura regretted asking them. Before Sasuke could answer, she shut her eyes and shook her head, dismissing the question. "Never mind, not important."

She opened her eyes to focus on securing the rope she was looping around her waist in a tight knot. It wasn't comfortable, but it would be enough to yank her out of the way of Hatching's black breath if something went wrong.

"Hold this," she instructed, passing the end to Sasuke. "And remember, this is only for emergencies. I can probably leap out of the way faster than you can pull me out of the way, so only use this if I pass out or something."

"How is this chakra wall meant to work?" Sasuke asked, taking the rope and looping it around his wrist a few times to anchor it.

"Remember the cage-thing Orochimaru used during...during the chunin exams?" Sakura asked. "It should be a bit like that. Except it will just be a wall, not really enclosing anything, which is why I can do it solo. If I was trying to box something in, I'd probably need about three other people. As it is, this wall jutsu can be pretty draining, hence the rope...just in case."

"Ready?" Ino called.

Sakura waved Sasuke away and nodded, bracing herself as Ino gave the command to unleash Hatching's black breath.

But the dragon simply chirruped, her head swinging from Ino to Sakura and back, seemingly very confused.

"Why isn't she attacking?" Naruto asked as the Daemon snaked out her long neck to nudge Sakura's shoulder fondly, crooning low in her throat.

"I don't think she sees you as an enemy," Ino said to Sakura, idly scratching at Hatching's shoulder. "We might have to try to get her to attack a tree or something, and then you'll have to leap in front of it."

Sakura sighed. This was adding all sorts of variables to their experiment, but at the moment, it seemed the only thing they could do. Hatchling wasn't going to attack anyone she perceived as Ino's ally, and Ino's idea seemed the only way they could work around it.

She watched, poised on the balls of her feet, as Ino instructed Hatchling to blast a nearby tree. As soon as the dragon inhaled, Sakura took off, feeling the rope feed out behind her, positioning herself in front of the tree, her hands forming the symbols needed for the jutsu just as the black flames began to wash towards her.

A green, glowing, partially-transparent wall sprang up in front of Sakura, the palms of the medic's hands pressed against the barrier to anchor it in place.

In spite of herself, the half-nymph tensed as the dark flames approached...but they hit the barrier and were repelled by her chakra. Sakura closed her eyes, trying to sense what was going on...and felt something so strange she nearly dropped the chakra wall in shock.

"Did it work?" Ino asked, patting Hatching's scaly neck.

"Try it again!" Sakura called. She was beginning to feel the strain of having to project and maintain so much chakra, but she thought she could take another blast before she had to rest.

She heard Ino call out to Hatchling, and this time the dragon didn't hesitate. Sakura had a feeling it was because Hatchling couldn't really see her behind the chakra wall, but she was given no time to think it over as she concentrated on sensing what was happening to the black breath as it hit her chakra wall.

It wasn't being destroyed; she knew that much. Instead, it felt like the pure destructive power that was Hatching's main weapon was being turned in upon itself, devouring and nullifying itself as it was repelled by her chakra.

And then Sakura realised what was happening. Chakra didn't hurt Daemons; for some reason, the contact of chakra repelled their destructive energy like the like poles of two magnets, turning their own power against them.

It was why wraiths couldn't be killed by chakra in their gaseous state; because they had no way to muster Skwall's energy in their insubstantial form, chakra couldn't truly damage them. But in their solid state, they could, so it was in their solid state that chakra could damage them.

That was why Haevyn had gone to so much trouble to ensure she was half-human. All along, Sakura had believed it was her Faerie blood that was the true purpose of Haevyn's cross-breeding...but she'd been wrong.

Haevyn had needed her human heritage just as much as she needed her Faerie. More specifically, the goddess had needed Sakura's human ability to control chakra, so she could turn Skwall's destructive energy against him.

Why hadn't she realised it before? When she'd panicked and lashed out at Itachi – once in the Elseworld and again in the forest – she'd dealt him crippling damage, but she had never wondered why she had been unable to repeat such a blow when she had faced him on the Hokage monument.

But now she knew it was because she had only been using her Faerie magic. It was when she'd been frightened, desperate, hitting out with both chakra and magic that she'd truly damaged him.

She didn't just need magic or just need chakra...she needed both.

That was Haevyn's plan.

-xxx-

Sakura had no real idea how to practice this. They hadn't been attacked by Daemons in days (probably indicating that Itachi had one hell of a hit planned), so it wasn't like she could try to combine her magic and her chakra to attack them.

But she was going to give it her best shot. She'd started off by practicing some simple jutsus (as she'd been neglecting her chakra lately), and then she'd decided to ask Cohen and the Gate Keeper for help.

She had been disappointed. Because both Faerie had always dealt with magic, they had no idea how to combine it with chakra. And because Sakura was the first person to combine both, it seemed she was on her own.

She'd decided to start with healing, as both chakra and magic healing seemed very similar. Which was why she was sitting in the tree, attempting to combine her human chakra and Faerie magic to heal injuries.

At least, that's what she told Sasuke when he asked what she was doing.

"So...how are you combining them?" he asked, glancing at her and noting her distinct lack of injuries.

"Best way to learn is practice," Sakura commented.

With that, she drew a kunai and swiped it across the skin of her calf, gritting her teeth against the slight sting as her flesh parted and blood welled against her skin.

For a moment, she thought Sasuke was having a heart-attack.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he practically snarled, seizing the hand that held the kunai and yanking it away.

"Take it easy," she muttered, laying her other hand across the injury as she concentrated on summoning both chakra and magic at the same time.

The gash healed without a mark.

"Combining them is a lot easier than I expected," the half-nymph mused, swiping her hand across her leg to wipe up the smear of blood left on her skin. "But then again, maybe that's because I've been meant to combine them all along. After all, magic is just as much a part of me as chakra is. For years I concentrated only on chakra, and then for the past few months I've concentrated on nothing but magic...but I was meant to blend them all along. Those big bursts of power that freaked Skwall out so much were really chakra and magic intertwined...and I didn't even realise I was doing it."

There was a pause. "Uh, Sasuke...can you let go of my wrist now?"

Sasuke was so caught up in the fact that she had been sitting in the tree for who knew how long, taking a knife to her flesh at regular intervals, that he hadn't even realised he was still holding her rather tightly.

He released her wrist. "Was that really necessary?"

Sakura shrugged. "All medics practice like this at some point in time. "

"_They ask you to do this?_"

"Well...no, but it's an easy way to practice."

He stared at her, clearly uncomprehending, and Sakura simply sighed, grabbed his hand and shoved it up one of the legs of her shorts.

Sasuke's mind short-circuited at the feel of smooth, soft Sakura-skin beneath his fingertips...then he realised that he could feel small, faint scars on her inner thigh, probably invisible to the eye against her pale skin.

"That's when I was still getting the hang of it," Sakura admitted.

Sasuke was still tracing the lines, his hand and fingers seemingly having taken on a mind of their own, one that was gleefully screaming 'Sakura's thigh! Sakura's skin!'. Some part of his rather addled brain realised that Sakura's breathing had changed, becoming rather uneven and ragged.

For her part, Sakura was cursing herself for doing this without thinking it through; his touch on such an intimate area of her body was starting to have repercussions.

Telling himself he should pull back before he did something deeply stupid, or Sakura got the wrong idea (or even worse, got the _right_ idea), he withdrew his hand slowly, his mind cataloguing every detail of her skin to be reflected upon and savoured later.

"It's a fleshy area to cut," Sakura said, in as level a voice as she could manage. "If you keep it shallow, you avoid any major veins or arteries, and no one's going to see it and think you're trying to off yourself or something."

Sasuke nodded absently, and couldn't help thinking that it seemed typical of Sakura: determined to help people, no matter the cost to herself. She'd been determined to learn to heal, and if spilling her blood got her there faster...then spilling her blood was what she would do.

-xxx-

One of Sakura's hand fisted in Sasuke's shirt as she reached for a scroll on the topmost shelf.

"Are you done yet?" came Sasuke's mumbled voice from where his head was pressed into her abdomen.

"Almost..." Sakura hissed, straining towards it. "Just walk backwards a couple of steps."

Sasuke moved as she directed, and Sakura shouted in triumph as her hand closed around the scroll.

She and Sasuke were back in the underground libraries, once more searching for any hints on how to combat Skwall. While what they'd found last time had led them to what Sakura considered Haevyn's true purpose in creating her, she asserted this by no means meant they should stop. In fact, they should probably double their efforts, as they now had proof that at least one of the gods had interfered with Konoha history.

When she'd tried to reach a promising-looking scroll on the top shelf, she'd initially suggested that they find a ladder...until Sasuke had offered to lift her up.

"You've got it?" she heard him ask.

"Just let me get a better grip..." she gritted out, her other hand leaving his shoulder and wrapping it around the scroll. "Got it!"

Sakura yanked the scroll down and then sneezed as a cloud of dust descended with it. Sasuke lowered her back to the ground, the half-nymph still sneezing as she wiped at her eyes.

"This place is like some sort of ancient crypt," she groused. "You know, you should really consider cleaning up the place if you want to attract a wife to get the whole clan revival thing underway. I mean, no self-respecting woman would ever make a home in this."

"You're here, aren't you?" Sasuke pointed out.

Sakura thought there was a bit of a strange tone to that comment, but she took it in stride. "You're very lucky I'm too busy to take that as an insult."

"I have perimeter duty," Sasuke reminded her.

"I know, I know," Sakura waved his comments off. "I just needed to get this scroll; I saw it the other day, and it seemed like the oldest one in the place, so..."

"You can stay here," he said abruptly.

"Really? You feel comfortable trusting me with your house, Sasuke?"

He nodded, and the immensely irritating _look_ settled on his face again as he turned away and made his way out of the vault.

Sakura would have let it go, but she'd had all she could stand of _that look_. The mystery of _that look_ was ending here and now!

She thought about running after Sasuke and demanding an explanation, but decided against it. Perimeter duty took precedence over whatever little drama they were acting out in their personal lives.

Instead, the half-nymph sat down and began to think it through. She'd seen that look a total of...about half a dozen or so times, she calculated – and she'd seen it everywhere, ranging from Konoha to the Otherworld to this very cellar.

And so far, it had only been directed at her; she'd never seen that expression on Sasuke's face when he was talking to someone else.

Sakura couldn't see what all those scenarios had in common – even though something was telling her she knew, but just didn't want to admit it. So she tried to analyse the expression itself. On Sasuke's face, it made no sense, but that was probably because she'd never seen it on Sasuke's face before and so she had no reference or any understanding of the emotions behind it.

But if she took the line of the eyebrows, the tilt of the mouth, the look in his eyes, planted them on Naruto's face (for whom few expressions were foreign territory), then she got...

It was in that instant that Sakura realised _that look _on Sasuke's face was the same expression Naruto wore when he told Hinata that he loved her.

_'No way...'_ echoed quietly in her still, stunned mind. _'No way...not possible...'_

It simply couldn't be true...could it?

Sakura realised that several things were beginning to slide into place with remarkable speed. Sasuke's strange behaviour, his sudden generosity, the way he'd been almost sweet to her at times...

It _was_ possible, and the realisation made Sakura a little light-headed. She was so accustomed to her one-sided affection that the idea it might be returned seemed unreal, ludicrous...

In that moment, Sakura came to a decision. Forget the research, forget the perimeter patrol; Sasuke was going to tell her exactly what was going on right now!

She tossed the scroll back onto a shelf and strode up the stairs, determined to make Sasuke talk or pester him until he did...when she felt the world around her lurch, twist, and cringe as though it was trying to expel something that had no business being here.

Something was trying push through the barrier separating this realm from the Elseworld.

Skwall had come to initiate round two.

Sakura had expected to feel frightened, or worried, when Itachi rose again. But strangely, all she felt was anger. All she felt was indignation at the idea that the whole universe seemed to be conspiring against her attempts to get Sasuke to open up; Itachi had better retreat to the Elseworld within the next three seconds or he was going to wish he had!

The half-nymph closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and sent her awareness out over the village, and – in the same way she'd once called to Tenten – let a mental scream ripple across Konoha.

_Skwall will be here soon! Daemons are coming!_

Having sufficiently warned the others, she opened herself to Haevyn's essence within her, feeling the goddess' mind and soul creep into her own, tentatively connecting, sharing power and knowledge...

Sakura knew that this was it; she would face Itachi for the last time. He retreated from her three times because he didn't know what she was...but now he did. And there would be no reprieve this time; this time she had to tear Skwall's essence free from Itachi's...or die trying.

-xxx-

Sasuke strode towards Konoha's perimeter with his hands deep in his pockets, cursing under his breath.

He should have told her. The moment might not have been perfect, but it was pretty close. He should have said something.

But the memory of what the Gate Keeper had said held him back. What if Sakura's affection for him had been Haevyn's doing – if the goddess had deliberately created her feelings for him so she would have no serious relationship, nothing to distract her from her goals. And now that there was no need for it, what if that affection had died?

Being perfectly honest with himself, Sasuke admitted it might have died anyway. He hadn't been the most considerate of people, and eight years was more than enough time to get over a crush.

But she'd insisted it was more than a crush, hadn't she? The night he left for Sound, she had laid her feelings bare without ever really hoping for reciprocation. He owed it to her to do the same.

At the very least, she would be understanding. If she didn't feel the same way (a prospect that was seeming more and more likely the more he thought about it) then it wasn't as though she'd break all contact with him and refuse to speak to him. After all, she'd been rather kind to Lee, hadn't she?

_Skwall will be here soon! Daemons are coming!_

Sakura's voice shrieked through the air as though she were right next to his ear, shattering his thoughts like glass.

Itachi was here? Now? But Sakura had only just started learning to combine chakra and magic...would she be alright?

He found himself automatically turning around, ready to run back to her, but forced himself to stop. What could he do? Though it burned him to admit it, Sasuke knew he could never hope to be anything other than a hindrance in the kind of battle Sakura was fighting.

He reflected that there was a certain sense of bitter irony in that as he turned his back on the Uchiha compound and sped down the road, seeking out any flares of chakra, trying to detect whether anyone was fighting, trying to sense whether any Daemons had entered Konoha.

-xxx-

"...so this is it..." Ino mused, standing tense beside Hatchling. "The big battle with Skwall."

She, Chouji and Shikamaru had been in the park when Sakura's mental scream reached them. The blonde was now beside her dragon, scanning the sky, ready to order an attack at the faintest hint of Skwall's dragons in the air above them.

"I think we might be in trouble," Ino remarked. "I mean, we barely got through the last one..."

"What did you want to do before you die?" Chouji asked lightheartedly, endeavoring to make their forebodings into a game. "I wanted to create a new flavour of chips."

Shikamaru shrugged. "I don't know...I wanted to start a family, I guess."

Ino bit her lip, thought of lying, but then grasped her courage in both hands. "I wish I'd gotten up the guts to...to kiss the man I love."

Shikamaru felt a sensation akin to being slugged in the gut. The air left his lungs, his intestines cringed in pain, and his eyes burned.

In what he hoped was a semi-normal voice, he asked, "And who is that?"

Ino shifted on the spot, her eyes darting from side to side. Hatchling keened, picking up on her surrogate mother's distress. The blonde considered backing out, just giving some half-hearted grin and running away...

"Screw it!" Ino half-snarled. "We're probably going to die anyway!"

And with that, she stepped over to Shikamaru, seized hold of the collar of his shirt to prevent him moving, and practically shoved her mouth onto his.

The connection lasted only a moment before she pulled back, leaving Shikamaru dazed and blinking, wondering if he'd just hallucinated it...

But the dark flush on Ino's cheeks and her embarrassed stammering told him it had been very real.

For perhaps the first time in his life, Shikamaru didn't think about his course of action. He simply slid his arms around Ino and yanked her back to him.

"If we're going to die..." he breathed into her ear. "I'm going to get a better kiss than that from the woman I love."

And then proceeded to follow up on his words.

Chouji smirked. "And who didn't see that coming a mile away?" he muttered, half to himself and half to Hatchling as he scratched the dragon's chin.

-xxx-

Tenten rubbed her hands together in an effort to hide her anxiety. She hadn't felt this worried before their first battle...but then, they hadn't been given as much forewarning. The Faerie had sensed the Daemons just as they'd been about to appear, and there was barely time to grab her weapons before they were joined in battle.

But now...Sakura had sensed Itachi some time before he would manage to break through. Unlike Sakura – who was still connected to this realm – Itachi had to struggle to make his way into the human world.

"We'll be fine," Neji soothed, one arm sliding around her waist and pulling her against him.

Tenten sighed, some of the tension ebbing out of her body. "It's just...things are going so well...if one of us dies, I am going to be so pissed off!"

Neji was torn between a soft glow of amusement at her statement, and a sharp stab of anxiety at the idea.

"We'll be fine," he repeated, and Tenten had the feeling he was trying to convince the both of them.

"Daemons!" a nearby centaur cried, pointing to a sky that was beginning to grow dark with flying shapes.

Tenten pulled away from Neji, grasping the hilt of her katana and sending chakra into the blade. "Ready?"

"Ready," Neji answered, sliding into his signature stance.

And then the Daemons were on them.

-xxx-

Ino kept half an eye on Hatchling in the sky, the dragon weaving through the cloud of her enemies with surprising grace. At least they didn't have to worry about Stormseeker this time around; Tenten had taken care of that problem rather nicely.

But there was still Blightbringer to worry about. The blonde was on edge, watching for his shuffling figure, listening for his hoarse cough.

And if she couldn't use her Mind Transfer...how were they going to stop him?

Ino's shadow suddenly reared up behind her, growing monstrous claws, and the blonde barely managed to send her kunai through the shade and kill it before the wicked talons cleaved her into pieces.

A sharp cough was her only warning before black tentacles shot towards her.

Ino danced out of the way, leaping across the ground in an effort to evade Blightbringer's death-dealing touch. She could only just see Skwall's lieutenant through the mass of humans, Faerie and Daemons swarming throughout Konoha. But she could see he was moving towards her. Apparently his mental defeat at her hands still rankled.

The inky tentacles came thick and fast, and Ino's outlook was beginning to get grimmer and grimmer. There was no way she could avoid Blight bringer's touch forever; all it took was once slip, one miscalculated dodge...and she would be history.

One tentacle whipped towards her face, and Ino performed an awkward hop backwards...only to find she needn't have bothered.

Something that looked like white smoke snaked through the air around her, and the tentacle smashed against it as though it was a concrete wall.

Ino turned her head, to see the Gate Keeper striding through the battlefield, wrapped in white fire.

"Gate Keeper..." Blightbringer drawled, his body vanishing from sight as he became a twisting column of darkness.

The Gate Keeper didn't reply, but Ino saw a tendril of the white flames that surrounded him lash out at Blightbringer, forcing the Daemon to draw back.

-xxx-

Sakura's hair was waist length once more, and her clothes had changed from shirt and shorts to a flowing white gown, signifying her restored connection to Haevyn. She could feel the air around her and Itachi become charged with magic, practically sparking with the friction of their powers twisting against each other.

It was harder this time. He wasn't surprised by her power, and he was prepared to face her now. She had the home-ground advantage, so to speak, and she was half-human and alive and thus welcome in this realm...but he was fully merged with the god within him.

It was only now that she could appreciate what that truly meant.

The half-nymph brought both her abilities to bear against him, her chakra sheltering her from his destructive energy and turning away his onslaught even as her magic tore at the heart of his being, trying to work her will on him, drive herself into him. Trying to tear Itachi and Skwall's essence apart by sheer force.

She could practically feel their intertwined soul in her grasp, like a thrashing eel; slimy and slippery, distasteful to hold and taking so much of her energy and power to do so.

Sakura searched for the seam, the join, struggling to part them. Her mind felt like it was fissuring apart beneath the effort of trying to hold off Itachi's attacks and detach his essence from Skwall's at the same time. And the onslaught was only increasing, as though he sensed the threat and was bringing all his power to bear upon her in an effort to send her to her knees.

But Sakura refused to give in. Even as she felt her chakra draining rapidly, even as she wanted nothing more than to slump to the ground and sleep for a year, she still poured her magic onto him, into him, probing for weakness...

She found the seam, and drove her will against it, her magic driving between Itachi's and Skwall's essence like a doctor amputating an infected limb.

And nothing happened. It was like throwing a dead leaf against a brick wall; no reaction, no effect...nothing. Itachi and Skwall's essences didn't part; they didn't even disconnect for a moment.

And realisation hit Sakura like a sledgehammer.

All along, they'd been asking themselves why Haevyn had a chosen a half-Faerie...but no one ever thought to ask why Skwall had chosen a human.

He'd chosen a human because a human's essence was far more rigid than that of a Faerie or Daemon.

Skwall had clashed with Haevyn time and time again. And this time, he'd learned his lesson, and he'd engineered a vessel whose essence was rigid, hard to work on, to make sure there was no way for Haevyn's vessel to separate them.

Skwall and Itachi could never be parted...because Itachi had been a human.

Unfortunately, her opponent had taken advantage of her momentary lapse of concentration. Itachi's mind and power dealt her a dizzying blow, some part of her crumpling beneath the force of it, her concentration shattering, leaving her reeling and dizzy.

She could feel dark, pulsing destruction crawl into her like a disease, searching for her weakness in the same way she'd searched for his. Sakura fought the urge to throw up and built up her chakra, sending it sizzling across her skin and humming through her body, forcing Skwall's magic to withdraw from around her and allowing her to focus on defeating his mental attack.

His mind was still forcing its way into hers like a spear of fire, and it took a superhuman effort to muster her thoughts and concentration enough to bring her own power to bear against his. They struggled for long moments, locked in limbo. Sakura imagined that if their struggle were represented physically, she'd probably be on her back with Itachi holding a kunai to her throat as she gripped the handle and struggled to move it away from her vulnerable neck.

Practically scraping the marrow of her bones as she attempted to dredge up any remaining particle of her strength, Sakura lashed out, trying to attack him again, and felt him withdraw instinctively.

And in that moment, Sakura realised she was going to lose. She might win the battle, yes, but she'd lose the war. If she pushed Skwall too far, weakened him too much...he'd simply retreat to the Elseworld, and wait for another opportunity.

And sooner or later, there would come a time when Sakura was too tired, or (if this lasted for several decades) too old to fight him off.

And then Skwall would win, and he'd have the human realm, and eventually, the Otherworld as well.

Skwall was going to win...unless Sakura did what she knew she had to.

She felt a frightening sense of calm about it. As though she'd always known it would come to this. It was what the Uchiha scroll had told her; it would be both...or none.

_'Then,'_ Sakura thought, with a sort of gentle acceptance she'd never imagined herself capable of, _'Let it be none.'_

Whenever she'd tried to merge with the goddess, she'd always held herself passive, letting Haevyn's essence intrude on her own without making any effort to connect with the goddess herself. Now, she believed she might have been going about it the wrong way.

Knowing that it was now or never, Sakura didn't passively wait for Haevyn to subsume her. Instead, she threw herself into the goddess' soul like she was cannonballing into a lake. She didn't wait for Haevyn's essence to sneak under the door to her soul like a creeping carpet; she flung the door wide open and stepped straight into the abyss.

Sakura and Haevyn finally merged...and she was no one. Neither Sakura nor Haevyn, but somehow both...and somehow more than either.

Now, she didn't feel the land...she _was _the land.

And she knew what she had to do.

She threw herself, everything she was and everything she could ever be, at Skwall. Their powers hit together, creating a strange sense of vacuum as pure destruction and restorative power came together and nullified each other.

She reached for his soul in the same way she'd done when she was Sakura, but this time she didn't try to part it.

Instead, she tried to destroy it. If contact with the other's powers nullified their own...what would the contact of Haevyn's essence do to Skwall?

She didn't take time to think about it; she simply did it. Even as part of her cringed away from the icy darkness that was Skwall, she shoved her own soul into contact with his like a suicide dive from a rooftop.

And then she screamed; she couldn't help it. Every nerve ending in her body suddenly screamed in pain as though she were being dragged over a bed of red-hot nails. Even her mind and soul howled and cringed as parts of herself were torn away, her very essence shredded and pulped as though it had been run through a meat grinder.

She didn't even realise that Skwall was screaming, too.

And then it was over. Everything that was Haevyn and Skwall evaporated, dissolving and vanishing into...nothing. Because there was simply nothing left.

And then there was only Sakura and Itachi. The half-nymph fell to her knees, not even bothering to watch as Itachi's form, now without any power to anchor his soul in the human realm, seemed to melt away into the air.

Because Sakura knew that there was something wrong. She'd put too much into it; she'd let Haevyn have all of her, let the goddess essence intertwine inextricably with her own and now that it was gone...she couldn't hold herself together. She couldn't make her thoughts make sense; she'd put everything she was into the merging, and now her being – her _self_ – was scattered like chaff in the wind and Sakura couldn't concentrate enough to pull herself back together.

But it didn't stop her trying. Even as she felt her mind dissolve and her form begin to change, even as she felt her essence spread too thin to be gathered in time...she tried.

But it wasn't enough. Her vision swam, blurring away as she began to change, her body shedding the shape it had known since conception and taking on another.

But she knew she had won. Because her goal was to protect the lives of the people she loved, to protect Konoha...she had never said anything about surviving to live in it.

-xxx-

Sasuke knew that something had changed. There was a flash of energy and magic that enveloped all of Konoha, light and shadow twisting together like some macabre dance...and then there was nothing. Not even the tense, charged feeling that accompanied the presence of Haevyn and Skwall in the human realm.

The Daemons had disappeared as though they had never been, leaving nothing but corpses, or in the wraiths' case, puddles of evaporating black liquid.

"I can't sense Skwall anymore," a voice said from beside Sasuke, and he realised it was Cohen's. The Faerie Lord's eyes were wide, as though he couldn't quite credit what he was feeling. "He's gone...but so is Haevyn."

Not knowing what to do, only feeling in his bones that something had gone horrifically wrong, Sasuke ran back to the Uchiha compound, in the direction of the flash...and where he'd last seen Sakura.

He darted between the buildings like a fish darting around rocks in a river, hoping he wasn't too late, trying to shake off the sense of foreboding that clutched his throat in a stranglehold. Ghosts of memory rose in his mind; he had done this once before, ran blindly through the compound to find the bodies of his family lying in pools of blood...

Sasuke burst into the sprawling gardens of the main house...and felt his world crumble for the second time.

A faint, blurry outline of black and red that might have been Itachi faded away like a photograph left in the sun, but Sasuke wasn't even looking at him.

His eyes were riveted on Sakura.

She was on her knees, obviously gasping for breath as as though she'd just run a marathon, the edges of her white gown becoming dirtied and her hair falling around her like a pink veil, hiding her face. But Sasuke didn't have to see her expression to know that something was wrong.

The half-nymph's pale skin was darkening, thickening, cracking like bark as the tips of her hair began to twist and writhe, curving around each other and taking on a distinctly green tinge.

As though bound to the fingers of an invisible puppetmaster, Sakura's body unfolded like a flower opening to the sun, her legs and her back straightening as her head rose. Even though her eyes looked distant and unfocused, she seemed to see him, and recognition flitted across her transforming face.

And she smiled. Just briefly, before her human features began to fade away like mist, a smile of sad acceptance, and a silent promise that everything was alright.

It was lie. How could anything be alright when Sakura was dissolving before his very eyes? Broken from his shocked paralysis, Sasuke ran forward, stretching out his arms to her, not knowing what he could do but desperate to do _something_...

And his fingers encountered nothing but hard bark and soft, green leaves. Sakura was gone.

There was just a sakura tree, young but strong, its leaf-filled branches reaching for the sky.

-xxx-

_AN: As per the last few chapters, justcallmefaye beta-ed. And I know I seem like a horrible person for ending it this way, but this is not actually the ending; there are a few more chapters to go._


	23. Shattered

**Chapter 23**

**Shattered**

It was hard to tell who was more devastated. Naruto, Lee and Ino were the loudest about it, certainly, but Cohen reflected there was also something rather unsettling about those who were trying to suffer in silence. Tsunade's voice was a little too rigid, and there was a fine tremor in her fingers that seemed to suggest she wanted to snatch up the nearest sake bottle and drink until it stopped hurting.

Tenten was crying, but not as noisily as Lee or Ino; there were no sobs, no great gasps for air...just two tiny streams of tears running down her face, accompanied by an occasional sniffle. Her cheek was resting against Neji's chest, her hands gripping his shirt so hard the knuckles stood out like those of a skeleton.

Kakashi's shoulders were hunched as though to ward off a blow, and he was toeing a pebble on the ground, staring at it as though it were the most fascinating thing in the universe. Cohen had the feeling he was doing so to make sure he had no chance of meeting anyone's gaze.

Mikiko and Sotaro were just holding each other in silence, their grief seemingly too deep for either tears or words. As though the emotional hammer-blow had been so swift and crippling it had immediately numbed their hearts without even the pretense of pain.

And Sasuke...he was staring at the tree that was all that was left of Haruno Sakura, without the slightest movement or change of expression, and the only indication that he wasn't a statue carved in stone was his blinking – which was rapid and pronounced as though his eyes ached.

"So...she might not be like this forever?" Hinata sniffled, re-iterating what Cohen had recently informed them all of.

The Faerie Lord shook his head. "Treesinger was forced into human form after her battle with Stormseeker...this is much the same thing. Daughter of the Land's essence has been stretched too thin, and this is simply her body's way of combating that; to place her in a form of suspended animation until she can recover."

"Like a coma," Tsunade said quietly.

Cohen nodded. He couldn't help noting that there weren't any tatters of clothing lying around, which meant that Sakura's clothes had changed as she had done. Like a Faerie.

Which was all the more reason to hope that this wasn't going to be a permanent arrangement.

"So...why didn't this happen to Itachi?" the Hokage asked.

"Skwall's vessel was dead," Cohen said bluntly. "Without Skwall's power, he would have been unable to hold his soul in this realm."

"So he, essentially, died a second time?"

"Essentially," Cohen agreed. "While Daughter of the Land is alive, and so she is now simply dormant until she can pull her essence back together."

"And how long will that take?" Sasuke asked, his voice completely emotionless, as though he couldn't afford to let even a particle of his control slip. Because one crack in the wall would unleash the flood.

"I don't know," Cohen said truthfully. "Maybe a few days...maybe years..."

"How...how many years?" Ino hiccuped.

The Faerie Lord sighed. "I won't lie to you – I don't know. Perhaps one, perhaps one hundred...perhaps a thousand. Daughter of the Land _will_ awaken...it's just a question of when. And whether it will be within your lifetime."

Ino nodded, her grip tightening on Shikamaru's hand, becoming so hard that he grimaced. But he didn't stop her, or tell her to let go.

-xxx-

Sasuke cursed, wondering why that, in the vast expanse of the Uchiha library, in there wasn't a single book on gardening. Maybe he'd have to buy one.

After all, if what Cohen said was true, and Sakura really could come back...then he'd have to make sure she was healthy enough do so. And that meant reading up and seeing if there was anything sakura trees needed to grow.

It had been barely two weeks since Sakura had transformed, and Sasuke still couldn't really wrap his mind around it. There would be days when he'd wake up and, for a moment, forget that anything had ever happened. But then he'd slide out of bed, glance out his window...and see a sakura tree in front of the lake where no tree had been before.

Then he'd remember, and it would hit him all over again.

He knew that many people had taken to coming into the Uchiha compound and talking to Sakura. He wasn't sure who had started it, but now it seemed that there was someone coming into his garden every day just to sit down and chat to the sakura tree, as though Sakura could hear them in the same way coma patients apparently could. Just yesterday he'd seen Tsunade leaning against the trunk with a sake bottle clutched in one hand, her other free to make vague gestures at apparently random points in her monologue.

He'd never made an effort to stop them. Even though it was technically his property, Sasuke didn't think he had the right.

He hadn't set foot near the tree since it happened. While he knew it was deeply stupid, there was some part of him that insisted if he ignored it, if he didn't think about it...then he'd eventually wake up from this nightmare and everything would be alright.

Sasuke was aware he was in denial. But he couldn't seem to help it; every time he even began to think about Sakura being a tree for the rest of his life, his mind automatically threw up a wall, blocking him off from those sort of thoughts.

Perhaps because his subconscious knew they would destroy him.

Sasuke wasn't entirely sure it hadn't broken something inside him already. While he knew he should be feeling something about the situation, he was completely numb. He would find himself wandering through the village, looking at the families in the park, at the couples dining in restaurants...and feel absolutely nothing.

He knew he'd never been the most balanced individual, but now he was starting to wonder if this had truly pushed him into insanity.

The Uchiha sighed and started out of the library, deciding he would attempt to train in the hope the adrenaline might snap him out of...of whatever this was.

He decided to throw a few articles of clothing that needed washing into the laundry before he went. He couldn't remember why he'd left a pair of shorts and a shirt neatly folded on top of the table...until he picked them up. The shifting of the fabric sent a sudden waft of stale air straight to his nose...

Air that smelled faintly of wildflowers, crushed bark and deep, moist earth.

And then Sasuke knew these were the clothes he'd lent to Sakura in the Otherworld.

They still smelled of her.

Sasuke hesitated, then walked to the laundry, ready to throw them in with the others that needed to be washed...only to find that he couldn't.

He couldn't let them go.

Sasuke had always believed that phrases like that described emotional or mental struggles rather than physical. But he was learning that it could apparently refer to physical struggles as well, because he was finding himself entirely unable to release his grip. His fingers had locked, his arm had frozen...every time he tried to coach himself into letting go of the clothes, his grip only seemed to tighten.

He _couldn't_.

Sasuke turned around and dropped them back on the table, trying not to focus on the reason he was so incapable of throwing a dirty pair of shorts and a used shirt into the laundry.

_'You're being stupid,'_ he told himself firmly. _'Stupid and pathetic. She's not dead, she's just...resting. She's coming back!'_

_'But when?'_ a nasty voice in his head asked. _'In a week? In a year? When you're middle-aged? When you're dead?'_

With his head bent over some crumpled, wrinkled clothes, Sasuke finally faced the truth. He couldn't bear to think that he might never see Sakura again. He had to believe she was coming back. Not just back to Konoha, or the human realm...but back to him.

And he couldn't help wondering when he'd fallen in love with Sakura. When had she crawled under his skin and wrapped herself around his soul until he could barely stand to think that she was gone?

-xxx-

"Well, it's been a month – to the day – since you changed," Ino informed the tree, her head hanging as she scowled at the roots. "So hurry up and pull yourself together already! You wouldn't believe what I've got to tell you! And I know I'm telling you now, but it's not...it's not the same."

Ino sniffled a little, and continued, "I want to look into your face when I tell you that Shikamaru and I are dating. I want you to squeal and laugh and ask if he's a good kisser – which he is, by the way; I guess the advantage of dating an analytical genius is that he figured out what I like really quickly – and I want to hear you joke about wedding dates and children and grandchildren and all the stupid stuff you used to tease me about, but you can't because you're gone and it's not fair that you're gone because I can't see you anymore – no one can see you anymore and, and, and-"

Ino's tears became too much for her. She buried her face in her hands and began to sob in outright abandon. She wailed quietly into her fingers for what felt like hours, until her tears dried and her sobs died.

"So, anyway," the blonde said, wiping her eyes and nose and continuing talking as though her breakdown hadn't happened. "Hatchling isn't with me today because Shikamaru's taking her on a solo scouting flight; even though the Daemons are gone, Tsunade says Hatchling will be really useful in surveying some of the nearby villages and towns. Plus, she can probably serve as quick transportation for a small group in an emergency."

Ino paused, as though Sakura could truly hear her and was processing the information. "I know you're a romantic at heart, so you're probably desperate to grill me about what's happening in the village. Well, there's me and Shikamaru, obviously, and that's...that's going well."

Ino's features lit in a soft smile, her joy unable to be dampened by the circumstances. "And Neji and Tenten had their first fight last week, and they were pretty noisy about it too. At least, Tenten was; I think you could have heard her screaming across the entire village. I couldn't hear Neji at all, though – he was probably just being his usual calm, emotionless, ice-cubey self. But don't worry, they got over it. In fact, I heard Hanabi telling one of her friends at lunch that she'd spotted Neji sneaking into his room at about six in the morning, still wearing the same clothes he'd had on yesterday. So I guess he spent the night at Tenten's apartment."

Another wistful smile. "And another bit of good news; Naruto and Hinata have permission to get married! Hiashi finally folded, though it's probably just because he doesn't want to piss off Tsunade when she's so mad and depressed..."

Ino's voice trailed away, before resuming again with new strength. "They're going to have the wedding pretty quickly, so he doesn't have time to change his mind or anything, so...so come back soon, okay?"

-xxx-

"Hey, Sakura," Naruto greeted, sitting down with his back leaning against the sakura's trunk. He liked sitting like this when he talked to her; it gave the impression that she was behind him, just a little out of his sight, listening and ready to interject her opinion. "I've got some...some pretty big news."

He took a deep breath. "Hinata's pregnant!"

As though Sakura had uttered a squeal of shock instead of remaining an inanimate tree, he babbled on, "I know we're young, but it was kind of an accident. We were just so caught up in it, with her Dad saying 'yes' and everything...I know Iruka always said that once was all it took, but I wasn't really thinking. Well, I was, just not really about that."

Naruto could almost picture Sakura's exasperated yet affectionate smile in his mind, and closed his eyes to indulge in the image. "We're going to get hitched first, then we'll buy a house and raise the kid. And maybe a few more later down the track."

The blonde was silent for a few moments, his mind still absorbing the shock of it. He was going to be a father! "I'll be honest with you, Sakura – I'm kinda scared. The future Hokage is afraid of nothing and no one...but what if I'm a bad dad? It's not like I had anything to learn from...what if my kid hates me?"

"Idiot..."

Naruto's eyes flew open, glaring at Sasuke. "Who asked you? I was talking to Sakura!"

"It's not like she can hear you," Sasuke snorted. "She's a tree...or haven't you noticed."

His voice was like gravel over broken glass. Naruto recognised what Sasuke was doing; he was hurting, and so he was lashing out at anything and anyone around him, just so something else could hurt as much as he did.

The fact that he recognised what the Uchiha was doing didn't stop Naruto from getting furious about it. "What would you know, huh? Sakura said her Mum could hear her when she talked to her!"

"Mikiko would have been aware and conscious in the Otherworld," Sasuke snarled. "Sakura isn't."

He turned his back on Naruto and the tree as though they were not worthy of his time, and something in Naruto snapped. The grief, the anxiety...everything...seemed to suddenly sharpen into a blade that sliced his self-control into ribbons.

He tackled Sasuke with a roar.

-xxx-

Kakashi was making his way to the Uchiha compound, a practice that had become rather frequent in the two months since Sakura had transformed. He liked to go early in the mornings and just talk to her; he didn't know if Sakura could hear him, but at least she was alive and he had a chance of helping her...unlike those whose names were chiseled on the monument.

And it seemed he wasn't the only tree-hugger in Konoha. He'd seen Ino talking to the tree, telling her what was happening in the village as though trying to bribe or entice Sakura back into her human form. Naruto babbled as though he could actually see and hear Sakura responding to him, as if acting like she was still there and talking to him was the best way to bring her back.

Tsunade had come a few times, drunk, angry and sad, having lost another person she cared for. She'd lost her brother, her lover...and now her student, who had been more like a much-younger sister or well-loved cousin.

Kakashi shook his head, and told himself to stop thinking like that. Sakura wasn't lost – she was just...resting. Like someone taking a nap after a long battle.

He ignored the fact Sakura's awakening might occur hundreds of years from now, when they were all dead and gone.

Sotaro had come often as well, but he never talked to the tree. He just stared at it, sometimes touching the bark or the leaves, with an expression of utter misery on his face. Nowadays, when Kakashi saw Sotaro around the village, the shinobi lacked his usual vivid energy; instead he seemed like a walking corpse, his eyes screaming silently of a loss no one else could truly comprehend.

And yet...something told Kakashi this would be harder on Sasuke than anyone else. Because Sakura was one of the few people Sasuke had ever really loved. He had probably been only just coming to terms with how he felt about her...and then she was gone.

Kakashi shook his head. At least he and the others had the comfort of knowing that Sakura knew exactly what she meant to them before...before this. But Kakashi was fairly certain Sasuke hadn't told her, and now he had to be practically drowning in regret. When people spoke of her in past tense – as though she were already dead and gone – Sasuke was more insistent than Naruto when he told them she was coming back. Which was quite a feat, considering how insistent Naruto could be.

As he approached Sasuke's house, Kakashi became aware of the shrieks of rage and the flares of both Sasuke's and Naruto's distinctive chakras.

He sighed and transported himself to the rooftop. He probably should have expected this; Naruto and Sasuke were bound to snap sooner or later and take their frustration and grief out on each other.

He thought it interesting that though their struggle was hurling them around the garden (demolishing it in the process), both of them seemed to always be aware of the sakura tree's location so they could avoid catching it in the crossfire. And they weren't using any jutsus or chakra-based attacks; it was as if their pain was so visceral that it would cheapen it to do anything other than hit out primitively.

Kakashi was just considering breaking them up when it started to wind down, like a slowing clock, as though they were running out of energy, as though their grief was burning them up inside until they barely had enough energy to stand, let alone fight.

Naruto punched Sasuke in the face, and Kakashi could see the blonde was crying. There were no tears on Sasuke's cheeks, but there was something brittle and burning in his eyes, like a smouldering log split apart by the heat of a fire.

The blow sent Sasuke careening to the ground, and the Uchiha didn't even try to rise, as though he couldn't even make the effort. Naruto huffed, waited for a moment to see if Sasuke was going to rise and resume their fight, then sat down beside him when it was apparent he wasn't.

"You're an asshole," Kakashi heard Naruto grumble.

"And you're still an idiot." There was a long pause, and then Sasuke spoke again, so quietly Kakashi almost didn't catch it, "Your kid won't hate you."

_'Kid?'_ Kakashi's shocked mind echoed. _'Kid?'_

Naruto nodded vaguely, and the two men clearly reached some sort of truce. They rose from the ground, a little gingerly, given that they were covered in scrapes and bruises, and made their way into the house.

Kakashi made a mental note to ask about the child later as he transported himself to the ground in front of the tree.

"Me again," he said shortly, staring at the green leaves that moved in a faint breeze. "Just here to inform you it's been two months, so you should really think of coming back to us. I mean, your father's a wreck, and I'm going to assume your mother's the same in the Otherworld. Tsunade's drinking more than usual, and considering how much she drank before, that's saying a lot. Naruto's acting like he's got bipolar disorder: he swings so often between being happy that he can marry Hinata and being depressed that you're gone. And Sasuke..."

He shook his head. "Well, let's not delve too deeply into that emotional wreck. Suffice to say, when some loud-mouthed chunin pointed out you'd been a tree for two months and suggested carving your name onto the monument...well, I though Sasuke was going to kill him. Fortunately, Tenten seemed to realise that Sasuke was about two inches away from shoving a Chidori into the guy's chest and simply yelled at the idiot to shut up or she'd eviscerate him."

There was a pause as Kakashi weighed his next words. "And I'm...well, I'm talking to a tree, aren't I?"

Another pause as Kakashi turned the situation over in his mind, examining it like a child with a Rubik's Cube, thinking over what it could mean. "Do us a favour and change back soon, Sakura. We've lost a lot in our lives...don't make us lose you, too."

The silver-haired man couldn't help but think of exactly why there were here, in this place, in this situation – Haevyn's plan, her manipulation of both human and Faerie lives. And he found himself wondering if Haevyn had been tired of her immortal life, of her never-ending struggle...if she had engineered Sakura to be what she was so the half-nymph wouldn't simply continue the cycle, but would finally find a way to break it.

-xxx-

Tenten watched Lee lay into a practice dummy, his technique a little more ragged than usual. Lee had always been dedicated to his training, yes, but now there was a...a desperation to his regime that had never been there before.

"You think he's okay?" she murmured to Neji.

Tenten was concerned about how he was coping with Sakura's transformation. At least Neji let her shriek like a banshee and hurl weapons at him when she was feeling particularly frustrated or angry or just plain depressed. But Lee was far too, well, gentlemanly, to yell at his friends like that.

Training seemed to be the only outlet for his frustration.

"No," Neji replied, looking at their friend. "Are you okay?"

Tenten shrugged. "Point taken. But I think I'm a lot closer to okay than he is."

"He is dealing with it in the only way he knows how," Neji remarked quietly. "We must allow him that."

The brunette woman sighed a little. "Are you sure?"

Neji shrugged. "As much as I can be."

Another sigh. "You heard about Naruto and Hinata expecting a kid, right?"

Her lover nodded, a little stiffly, as though he didn't really want to consider it.

"So...how does that work?" she asked hesitantly. "I mean, as far as I know, the Byakugan only exists in the Hyuuga clan, even though women of your clan must have married outsiders...so why no other Byakugans running around the village? Is the council going to try to stop Hinata having the baby?"

"Nothing so drastic," Neji replied. "There is a...a jutsu...that can be performed on an unborn child that prevents it inheriting the Byakugan. It doesn't harm the fetus, and it was a way of ensuring bloodline abilities stayed within the clan they originated from."

Tenten frowned. "And they think Naruto's just going to allow them to do that to his kid?"

"I don't see why not. If the child was born with the Byakugan, the Hyuuga council would want a say in its life; how it was raised, how it was trained...but this – disinheriting the child of the Byakugan – is a way of saying they're cutting all formal ties to Hinata and Naruto. The clan and the council will leave them in peace to make their own lives."

Tenten made a non-committal noise, obviously thinking it over.

"Don't worry," Neji told her. "They won't have to do that to our children – when you marry me, you'll become part of the Hyuuga clan."

And he couldn't help but smirk at the wide-eyed look his comment earned him.

-xxx-

Sasuke tossed the cup back, feeling the alcohol sear his throat as it went down. Four months...four months since Sakura had become a tree.

And now Naruto and Hinata were having their wedding without her.

He'd objected to it, of course, telling Naruto in no uncertain terms what he thought about he and his girlfriend getting married while Sakura was still...indisposed.

Naruto had told him that if they waited much longer, Hinata wasn't going to be able to fit into her dress. And then said that every time he went to the Uchiha grounds to talk to Sakura about the wedding, he could practically hear her yelling at him 'stop procrastinating and do it!'

"Besides," the blonde had insisted, "I think it's what she would have wanted, you know?"

Sasuke knew it probably was; Sakura would never have asked her friends to put their lives on hold for her.

It didn't make it any easier for him to accept, though.

Which was why Sasuke was sitting at the table and swigging sake, watching Naruto and Hinata dance in the center of the floor, both smiling so widely it looked like their cheeks were on the verge of splitting.

Sasuke's view was blocked for a moment as Neji and Tenten swept by, moving slowly due to Tenten's obvious inexperience with waltzes. Neji guided her with one hand on her hip, exerting gentle pressure to tell her when to move and how.

"Come on, Shikamaru!" Ino's brassy, vibrant tones carried clearly over the music.

Sasuke turned. A little way down the table, Ino was tugging insistently on her boyfriend's arm. "Come on, Shikamaru – just one dance? Please?"

Muttering something about 'troublesome' and 'whipped', Shikamaru stood, allowing himself to be dragged onto the dance floor as Ino practically squealed with excitement.

Sasuke took another long gulp of sake, feeling the alcohol mingle unpleasantly with the sting of envy settling in his chest. Not really envy of anyone in particular, but certainly envy of what they had.

As he watched, Naruto's fingers stole under Hinata's chin, tilting her face up for a deep and very involved kiss.

And Sasuke couldn't take it anymore. He took one last swallow of sake, then set the cup down and stalked out the door. He needed to go somewhere to clear his head, somewhere not populated by blissfully smitten couples.

He must have had more to drink than he thought, because in that moment he could practically hear Sakura's voice in his ear, a memory from when she urged him to interact with the other guests at her birthday party...

"_Come on, Sasuke, be social for once!"_

He wondered what Sakura would have done if she'd gone to the wedding. She probably would have made a loud, exuberant toast about how they were obviously devoted to each other and that they were going to be in love for the rest of their lives.

Sasuke missed that about her; her firm, unwavering belief in a happy ending for her friends, if not for herself. He missed a lot of things about Sakura.

He missed her bellowing announcements, missed the way she stomped through his house and dragged him out to social gatherings.

"_You can't mope around in the dark forever, Sasuke – sunlight is your friend."_

He missed the way she laughed, missed the way she guzzled anything with sugar in it, and he missed that way she was appalled at his lack of appreciation for all things sweet.

"_Who doesn't like sweets? I practically lived off sugar while Tsunade was training me...well, sugar and caffeine."_

He missed the way she'd shout in triumph after a hard battle, missed the way she'd threaten him with a complete lack of fear; as though he wasn't a traitor, wasn't a kin-killer, as though he were just some snot-nosed genin she needed to bring into line.

"_If you make that stupid 'Hn' noise one more time, Sasuke, I swear I'll hit you so hard that will be the only sound you ever make again."_

He missed the way she'd try to hold in her anger, and then when she snapped it would be in an enormous eruption of shrieks, curses and threats. He missed the way she could be as gentle as a light rain with his injuries while she berated him for his stupidity or carelessness, depending on how the mood struck her.

"_One day, Sasuke, you and Naruto are going to get into a really big, really stupid fight and then I'll refuse to heal either of you and make you both limp around the village for days!"_

Perhaps it was the sake, perhaps the nostalgia, but when Sasuke made it to his house and stared at the sakura tree in his garden, he found he could almost picture Sakura standing there, smiling brightly at him, her green eyes shining like exotic jewels. For the first time, he thought he could understand why people felt driven to talk to the tree.

And Sasuke couldn't help but think that all his life, he'd been too late. He grew strong enough to kill Itachi...too late to help his parents. He realised what his friends meant to him...too late to take back what he'd done.

He realised he was in love with Sakura...too late. She was a tree, and no one knew when she would turn back...if she ever did. It had been four months, but it could be many months to come. It could be years, decades, centuries...maybe even a millenia or two. Mikiko was forced into human form for twelve years, and that was just when she faced Stormseeker. But Sakura had faced a god.

It was probably the alcohol, but Sasuke could see a twisted irony in the situation. After all, when he thought of how she used to pine for him...the roles were rather reversed now, weren't they? She couldn't have gotten a better revenge on him if she'd planned it.

She wouldn't have planned anything, of course. Sakura wasn't a spiteful person, and that was what was truly awful about it; of all the people this could have happened to, Sakura had deserved it the least. Well, in Sasuke's opinion, that is, which he could admit was probably rather heavily biased.

Sasuke sighed, and slowly slid to the ground beside the sakura tree, leaning against it as he'd seen Naruto do. He closed his eyes, trying to picture Sakura. If she were standing where the tree was, his head would be leaning against her hip. He could almost feel her patting his head in commiseration, could almost hear her voice chiming in his ear.

"_Come on Sasuke, cheer up – it's not that bad."_

Except this time it really was that bad. Sasuke's eyes flew open, forcing him to face the empty, desolate grounds, and he ran his hand through his hair, tugging on the locks in an effort to vent some of the storm of emotions inside him. His throat was tight, his eyes were stinging, and his vision was waving and blurring strangely, as though he was looking at the world through a sheet of water.

He stayed there until dawn, feeling the soft night breezes trickling through the gardens as the leaves whispered above him.

-xxx-

She felt like she was floating free, drifting between light sleep and deep sleep like a slowly arcing pendulum. It was very relaxing, almost peaceful, and without even realising it, she let herself drift deeper.

She was free-falling through space, through clouds, with no earth or hard stop at the bottom.

There was a niggling feeling she wasn't supposed to be doing this; that she was meant to be somewhere else, doing something else, but she couldn't make herself concentrate enough to remember exactly what.

Sensations drifted to her through syrup. Voices rose and fell, strengthened and faded, came and went. They rang dull bells in her muffled memory – she couldn't put a name or face to them, but the soft, warm feeling that suffused her when she heard them told her that these voices were people important to her. People she cared for, and people who cared for her in turn.

It bothered her that she couldn't remember who they were, but that was only a tiny wrinkle in the smooth daze she was floating in.

Except...the voices were sounding more and more desperate, more and more heartbroken. She couldn't make out any words, but she could detect the pleading tone they used. They were distressed about...something. They were missing...something.

She was very tired, but those voices seemed to want something, and she wondered what it could be. Maybe she should try to go back to...wherever she'd come from, just to see what they wanted and if she could give it to them? After all, you did things for the people you cared about.

At least, she thought you did.

Her thoughts were scattered and fragmented – she didn't even know her own name – but she had the idea that she should go back, and that it was very important she did so. She didn't know why it was so important, but as she pondered the question a vague image swam up from the depths of her blurry mind.

A man staring at her, his dark eyes horrified, his hands reaching for her as she felt her body warping, twisting and changing as her mind spiraled away, out of her control...

Wherever she was, the people she cared for weren't here. And if they weren't here, she couldn't help them with whatever it was that was upsetting them.

So, for the first time, she began to resist the siren song of the warm emptiness around her.

She resisted the urge to sink deeper, and instead tried to fight for the surface, like a drowning swimmer fighting the current. She fought for coherency, dragging her thoughts together like a wrangler mustering a herd of wild horses.

She didn't know how long it took, but thought and memory and concentration began to return to her in tiny increments, like sand trickling through an hourglass. She remembered her mother's face, her father's voice, friends' names...and she remembered who and what she was.

_'I am Haruno Sakura...'_ the thought echoed in her blanketed hollow of the world. _'I am Haruno Sakura...'_

She focused whatever fragments of power and strength she could dredge up on her body, picturing her human form as she concentrated on changing, willing herself to shapeshift just one more time...

And Sakura felt her body begin to change. Like pushing a granite boulder up a mountain, the change moved agonisingly slowly, each inch fought and struggled for.

Slowly, the world began to return to her. Light and sound pressed against her senses, clamouring for attention, and she fought the urge to draw back as they overwhelmed her.

Sakura reached for the light.

-xxx-

_AN: That bit with their kid not getting the Byakugan...well, I always wondered why there were no bloodline limits outside the clans because, in all honesty, some of the women would have married outside the clan at some point in history, right? And so, I thought of that explanation, which does strike as something some of the traditional clans would do._

_And thanks to justcallmefaye for beta-ing._


	24. Comes The Dawn

**Chapter 24**

**Comes The Dawn**

When Sakura's mind swam back into full awareness, she realised she was sprawled on something that felt like grass and staring at a blue sky streaked with clouds.

For a moment, her exhausted mind wondered dizzily what had happened, and then she remembered. The struggle with Itachi/Skwall, feeling her essence stretched too thin, knowing her body was changing...

_'I must have changed into a tree,'_ she told herself. _'But I've changed back again.'_

At least she still had her clothes on this time.

Sakura slowly rolled over and tried to stand up. Her movements were a little jerky, as though her mind had almost forgotten how to work her arms and legs.

She realised she was still in the grounds of the Uchiha estate, but the garden looked like it had been through a hurricane while she was gone. Had there been some sort of bad storm?

For that matter, how long had she been gone? Sakura felt a slight shiver of fear when she realised she could have been a tree for years. Her mother had been a human for over a decade...how long had she been held in the form of a sakura tree?

Carefully stretching out her limbs – not stiff or sore but still feeling strange and new – she made her way to the house and rapped on the back door.

There was no answer. Sakura knocked again, louder this time.

Still nothing.

Assuming Sasuke was on a mission or otherwise absent, Sakura decided to go to her house and see if her father was home, trying to ignore the insidious, slimy voice in the back of her mind hissing that her father might be dead.

She leapt across the rooftops, noting that all the buildings were repaired from the Daemons' last attack, and jumped down to land lightly on her own doorstep.

Taking a deep breath to prepare herself to face...whatever she was about to face, Sakura rapped sharply on the door.

There were a few moments of silence. Then she heard footsteps as someone moved through the hall, and the door opened to reveal a very haggard-looking Sotaro, his eyes widening as he took in the person standing on his front step.

Sakura smiled tremulously. "Hi, Dad."

-xxx-

"Five months?" she choked out. "I was gone for five months?"

Sotaro nodded. Sakura and her father were sitting at the table, both clutching mugs of tea. Sakura's ribs still ached a little from the constricting hug he had delivered when he'd realised she was standing on the doorstep. Even now, his hand kept drifting to her shoulder or her hair, as though trying to reassure himself his daughter was really sitting in their kitchen once more.

"Wow..." she whispered, stunned at the idea that such a large piece of her life could have been consumed so ruthlessly.

No sooner had she considered that then she realised what her friends must be going through. "I have to see the others!" she blurted, abandoning her tea and rising from her chair.

Sotaro blinked, and though he nodded in understanding, Sakura could see a hint of fear enter his eyes.

"I'll be back tonight, Dad," she assured him, squeezing his shoulder briefly before tearing out the door and down the road.

Sotaro watched her go, trying to quell the worry that snaked into his heart as she disappeared around the corner.

-xxx-

Sakura skidded to a halt near the Sacred Sakura and stretched out her hands to rest her palms on the trunk.

"Hey, Mum."

There was a pause, as though of shock. And then...

_Sakura?_

"Yeah, Mum – I'm back."

_Sakura! When did you come back? Are you alright? Did you change back without any side-effects? Have you been to see your father? _

The half-nymph laughed at the barrage of questions only she could hear. "I just came back a little while ago, I'm fine, no side-effects that I've noticed, and yes, I've been to see Dad. He was...he was very relieved."

She knew that was a definite understatement – relieved didn't even begin to describe the expression that had crossed her father's face when he'd opened the door to find her standing in front of him.

_Then you're..._

"Back for good, yeah."

_Thank the gods! I was so afraid...I thought you'd be in that state for years!_

"I might have been," Sakura admitted. "But I could hear my friends talking around me, and I could tell they were upset, so I tried to pull myself back."

_Yes, your friends – have you spoken to them yet?_

Mikiko was sounding a little overwhelmed, and Sakura couldn't help but smile. "I'm headed to Tsunade's office now, Mum – I figure she can call everyone else there, instead of me just trotting around the village and meeting people at random. But don't worry – I'll be coming to the Otherworld soon through the Deepest Well to visit you."

_Will the Gate Keeper let you in? Sometimes he refuses-_

"Well, I've just fought Skwall as Haevyn's vessel and managed to end the cycle once and for all – I think he owes me."

-xxx-

"Lady Tsunade!"

Tsunade jerked up from the reports her head had begun to droop over. Shizune was standing in the doorway, looking as though one of the Hokage's bets had paid out for the first time and they'd won a million dollars. A strange mixture of disbelief, joy, and sheer exultation painted her features.

"What is it, Shizune?"

As an answer, her assistant stepped aside.

And for a moment, Tsunade thought her heart had stopped in her chest. Sakura stood in the doorway, a slightly shy smile on her face, as though she wasn't sure of her welcome.

In a daze, the Hokage stood and made her way to the door. It was only when her fingers had hesitantly combed through the fringe of Sakura's distinctive hair that she could finally believe that this was real, not some sort of sake-induced daydream.

"You're back," was all Tsunade could manage.

Sakura nodded, tears filling her eyes as though Tsunade's emotional turmoil was being passed to her via osmosis. Then she launched herself at her mentor, her arms winding around Tsunade's waist as she hugged the blonde woman desperately.

Strangely, Tsunade wanted to laugh. Sakura had always been demonstrative of her affection.

The sudden, dizzying relief that swamped the Hokage in that moment left her clinging to the pink-haired medic just as fiercely as Sakura was to her. The two women stayed like that for several long moments, just holding each other, breathing deeply and evenly.

Then Sakura drew back, wrinkling her nose a little. "You smell like sake."

And Tsunade laughed.

-xxx-

Sakura's ears still rang from Ino's delighted shriek. Her ribs and back still stung from Naruto's hug. Her side throbbed from where Hatchling had knocked her over with an affectionate butt.

She didn't think she'd ever been this happy in her life.

Sakura couldn't help staring at Hinata's swollen stomach. The newlywed was only five months along, so she was nowhere near as big as she was going to get, but some part of Sakura's mind simply couldn't get over the fact that a baby – Naruto's baby – was growing inside her.

"Do you know the gender yet?" she asked.

"Yeah – we're going to have a girl!" Naruto proclaimed. "We're going to call her Hisae!"

He patted Hinata's abdomen in the same way Sakura imagined he'd pat his daughter's head one day. "And she's going to be as beautiful as her Mummy."

Sakura laughed and stretched out a hand to pat Naruto's shoulder. "You're going to be a great dad, Naruto."

The blonde beamed.

"And you're going to be a great mum, Hinata," the medic told the expectant mother.

Hinata blushed and gave an embarrassed sort of smile.

Sakura couldn't wipe the grin off her face.

When Tsunade had called everyone into her office, Sakura had been practically tackled to the floor by Ino and Naruto. Naruto had kept hugging her until suffocation became a serious issue, while Ino had attempted to shout everything that had happened since she had transformed in one breath.

Lee had hovered over her like an overprotective mother-hen, as though worried she'd disappear the moment he took his eyes off her. Shikamaru had simply smiled quietly and patted her on the shoulder, saying that he was glad she was back. Chouji's reaction had been much the same, though he had tacked on the statement that Ino had been driving him up the wall when she had no girlfriend to gossip with.

Hinata had beamed and hugged her for a brief moment before guiding Sakura's hand to her belly to feel the baby kick. Tenten had caught her around the waist and actually swung her into the air – Sakura was always surprised by how physically strong the brunette was, especially given that she couldn't use chakra the way the half-nymph and Tsunade did.

Kiba had grinned wolfishly as Akamaru knocked her down to sniff her all over. Shino had just nodded and rested his hand on her shoulder for a moment, and she guessed his rather reserved attitude wouldn't allow him to do any more. Neji hadn't exactly smiled, but his smirk had been a lot softer than usual.

Sasuke was away on a lengthy mission to Earth Country, so he wasn't at the pseudo-celebration, but Sakura was determined to see him as soon as he got back.

Kakashi had been late in responding to Tsunade's summons, and eventually Sakura had left the gathering to try to find him. He'd been at the monument, and when she called his name and he turned around to see her standing behind him...well, the look in his visible eye in that moment would be forever seared into her memory.

She'd dragged him back to the tower, and Tsunade's office had become immersed in something of an unofficial party as everyone celebrated her return.

Eventually, as the party wound down, Hinata and Naruto had managed to persuade her to come with them to see their new house.

Which was why Sakura was sitting in a small but homey kitchen, unable to stop grinning at the newlyweds.

"So...how was the wedding?" she asked.

To her surprise, both Naruto and Hinata suddenly looked guilty.

"We...we really wanted you to be there, Sakura..." Hinata started, and the medic immediately saw where the conversation was going and cut in, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, for god's sake, don't start on that – I'm glad you guys got hitched! Besides, you didn't know how long I was going to be a tree, and I think four months was more than enough time spent waiting on me."

Their nagging consciences apparently mollified, Hinata and Naruto began describing their wedding, everything from the sake they ordered to the speeches people gave.

And Sakura still couldn't wipe the smile off her face.

-xxx-

Sakura made her way through the forest, heading unerringly for the Deepest Well, determined to visit her mother.

She ran lightly through the branches of the trees, urging the boughs to bend together to form a bridge for her passing with barely more effort than a thought.

Her Faerie magic was still within her, but her powers were not as...intense as they had been, though they were still a far cry from the usual nymph powers. Her strange 'land sense' was weaker but still in play, and she still had that peculiar hold over animals as well as plants. She didn't know if it was because Haevyn's presence within her had forever altered her powers, or if Mikiko was right: combining human chakra and Faerie magic simply enhanced those individual powers.

But she couldn't walk around barefoot anymore – that was gone, as was her ability to command the land itself. The power that had been cloistered within her had vanished, and some part of Sakura was rather relieved.

Her ultimate power was gone, yes, and she supposed she'd mourn its loss every time a patient died in her care...but now she could look at herself and know that this was who she was, and not an attribute of some goddess.

And she had retained one rather interesting and useful power. Sakura was able to move through a forest undetected.

It didn't work in any other landscape, but in the forest...if Sakura wanted to leave no trace, there was no one who could track her. No dog could pick up her scent, and not even the best tracker could discern where she stepped.

In a forest, Sakura was like a soft breath of air. Passing swiftly, invisibly, without a sound and without a trace.

The half-nymph predicted a lot of stealth missions in her future.

She stepped into the clearing, not surprised to find the white stag already waiting for her.

"Hey, Gate Keeper," she greeted softly.

He dipped his head to her briefly, a remnant of the bow he had offered her the first time she entered the Deepest Well. "Daughter of the Land."

"Did you know?" Sakura had to ask. "Did you know what was going to happen?"

"I knew what was supposed to happen," the Gate Keeper admitted softly. "But I didn't know if it would."

Sakura nodded and just watched him pace out the gateway to the Deepest Well in silence.

He never asked her for a reason for her visit.

The medic leapt into the Deepest Well as soon as it opened. She passed the stone altar in the middle of the bridge, noting that there was now no tree growing on it, and allowed herself a self-satisfied smirk at the idea that Haevyn and Skwall were finally gone for good.

She emerged in the Otherworld with that smirk still on her face.

And was immediately engulfed in a smothering hug by Mikiko.

"Thanks the gods," her mother whispered. "Thank the gods..."

"I'm okay, Mum," she told Mikiko, patting the sakura nymph gently on the back. "I'm okay."

"Of course, of course," Mikiko murmured, drawing back and wiping at her eyes surreptitiously. "Tell me, what's been happening in Konoha? How are your friends? And...your father?"

"Dad's fine," Sakura told her. "And I told you about Naruto and Hinata asking me to be godmother to their baby. Sasuke's still on a mission to Earth Country, but he's coming back tomorrow..."

-xxx-

Sakura sat on the edge of the dock, idly kicking her feet in the water.

Sasuke was due to be back from his mission that day, and Sakura had decided to wait in the Uchiha compound for him, largely because Naruto had told her he often stopped by her tree before he even made his report to the Hokage, and she didn't want him to be met with an empty garden and think she'd been cut down or uprooted or something equally disastrous.

So she was dabbling her bare feet in the lake as she waited, kicking her legs to see the droplets of water spray through the air, catching the light and shining like sprays of tiny jewels.

Sakura sensed a flare of chakra approaching rapidly and stood, shaking water from her toes and slipping her shoes back on before trotting up to the house.

Sasuke appeared around the corner of the house. He hadn't noticed her yet, which made her wonder about his state of mind, that he was ignoring such a blatant chakra signature in his garden. Naruto and Kakashi had both warned her that Sasuke hadn't taken her transformation well, but the man in front of her barely looked like the Sasuke she remembered. Defeat was written in every line of his posture, and he held his half-hunched body as though he were concealing some kind of hidden injury, even though her 'land sense' told her he was uninjured.

"S-Sasuke?" she stuttered out, reaching out to him.

She could see in his eyes the moment her presence registered. For a moment, he looked dazed, shocked...and then fury lit an inferno in his dark eyes.

Sakura found herself slammed against the wall of the house, his grip frighteningly tight on her arms.

"Change back!" he told her quietly, his voice trembling with suppressed emotion. Like a piece of glass spiderwebbed with cracks and one inch from shattering completely.

"Wha-?"

"Change back or I'll kill you!" he hissed, punctuating his words with a vicious shake.

At that moment, Sakura realised Sasuke thought someone had transformed into her and was playing some kind of cruel joke on him.

"It's me," she protested, but his low snarl interrupted her.

"_Don't! Don't you dare use her voice!_"

Sakura blinked. Apparently, Sasuke was taking this much harder than she'd thought he would. Enough so that he couldn't let himself believe this was really her, because if it wasn't, it would hurt him far too much.

She didn't know what to say, but she had to address the grip on her upper arms that was rapidly turning from tight to painful. "Sasuke, if you don't loosen your grip on me, I'll make you, and believe me, that will hurt you more than it will hurt me."

His hands loosened a little in response to her usual brand of ordering someone around – an instruction combined with a threat. As though hearing her say something so typical of her introduced the idea that he could be talking to Sakura more strongly than simply seeing her could ever do.

"It's me," she said, rather belatedly, her hand half-rising to point to where she guessed her tree had been. "No tree...I came back."

Sasuke blinked and slowly let his eyes follow her finger. The garden was bare of any sakura tree; the space where it had stood was just a blank expanse of grass, as though nothing else had ever grown there.

He blinked again, barely able to believe that it might be true, that Sakura had returned and was right in front of him, her arms clenched in his hands, her voice telling him that his grip was getting tight again, and if she had to extract herself she'd heal the broken wrists that would result, but it would still hurt like hell to get them...

And something in Sasuke snapped. He didn't realise how it happened, but he was suddenly clutching her to him, his cheek pressed against hers and his panicked breath dancing across her neck. He held her tightly, reveling in the feel of her; alive and warm and human. He could feel her pulse fluttering against the side of his jaw, the arteries distending her pale skin with the force of her heart's contractions.

Sasuke didn't think about it. He didn't wonder if he did it because their recent experiences had shown him just how short life was, didn't wonder if this sudden burst of courage and hope had come because he knew what life would be like without her. He didn't analyse it, he didn't second guess it, he didn't plan it.

He just _did_ it.

Sasuke drew back a little, enough to see the tentative smile on Sakura's face and the hint of confusion in her eyes, before he dipped his head and pressed his lips against hers.

It was far from perfect. He had very little experience in kissing, so he wasn't quite sure how to align his mouth with hers. She wasn't helping either – she'd gone completely stiff with what he hoped was shock and not revulsion. Sakura didn't even seem to be blinking.

Just when Sasuke started to think about stopping – that Sakura's frozen state was polite refusal of what he was offering – her lips softened beneath his, and she tilted her head a little to the side so their noses were no longer bumping against each other.

"Everything..."

Sakura blinked, vaguely aware Sasuke had spoken practically against her mouth, but couldn't make that single word fit into any sort of meaning, and eventually settled for an ineloquent, "What?"

"You asked me a question a while ago," he said quietly. "Remember? In the forest, with Hatchling? And now I'm answering – everything."

Sakura's brows drew together as she wondered what he was talking about, but then memory flashed through her mind and realisation hit her like a sledgehammer. She thought she actually felt the world spin around her a little as she remembered the question she'd asked that day in the forest.

_What am I to you?_

That realisation was swiftly followed by an even bigger one – Sasuke would never have said something like that unless he meant it. And he would never have meant something like that unless...

Unless he loved her.

It hadn't been said, but she could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice, feel it in the way he touched her – urgently but reverently.

Sasuke had not moved while she came to these realisations, and Sakura realised he was waiting for some sign from her, some indication of either acceptance or rejection.

In answer, she leaned forward and gently kissed him again.

He hadn't said he loved her. Some part of Sakura acknowledged that he might never say it. But she knew he did, and maybe that was enough. And if one day it wasn't, then they'd deal with it then.

But for now, there was just them, and the road ahead of them.

Sakura held no illusions. She knew it would be hard to make this work. There were still demons and darkness inside Sasuke that she hadn't even brushed the surface of. It would be difficult to be both teammates and lovers, just as it was difficult to find time in a ninja's life for their partner. If there was one thing she'd learned in this life, it was that love didn't conquer all.

But she had to admit it was a damn good start.

Sakura closed her eyes, rested her head against Sasuke's chest, and listened to the hum of the trees.

**End.**

_AN: Thanks to both justcallmefaye and my brother, who beta-d various parts of this story for me. Considering that this was my first Naruto fic, I never expected the overwhelmingly positive response I received. I mean, I got over five hundred reviews! I never expected anything like that!_

_Just to say thanks to everyone who reviewed – feedback is always appreciated, especially when plunging into new and uncharted territory._

_Also, justcallmefaye and Pensulliwen have drawn a wonderful fanarts for this fic – check out my profile for the links!_


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